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Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
23,000-acre lake near Coolin. A clear, forest-rimmed Panhandle lake renowned for big mackinaw (lake trout) and native cutthroat under the Selkirk peaks. The lake tops out around 330 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
On the chart, Priest Lake draws 23,358 acres inside 68.2 miles of shoreline, with 7 islands in the mix. An index of 3.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 15% of this chart, as modeled. End to end it runs roughly 18.8 mi, about 5.1 mi across. The water lies in Bonner County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: North Skookum Lake, 20 mi southwest of here.
Spring puts lake trout in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 50 to 120 ft, wintering in 20 to 80 ft. Spring lake trout concentrate at Shoreline point, a prime-rated point around 30 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (30 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Sharp break (77 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline point (30 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Sharp break (77 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 30 to 70 ft before dropping to 20 to 80 ft for winter. Fall kokanee concentrate at Reeder Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Sharp break (13 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Sharp break (77 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Reeder Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Sharp break (77 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for cutthroat trout tight to the bank in 3 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Reeder Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Reeder Creek inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (13 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Sharp break (13 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 40 ft. Reeder Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Reeder Creek inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Reeder Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (30 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Sharp break (13 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Shoreline point, a point in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (13 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (24 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (13 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season lake whitefish use the shallows, holding in 15 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 40 to 90 ft, then a winter hold in 25 to 70 ft. Put Sharp break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 77 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (13 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Sharp break (77 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Rock reef (2 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (77 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
The chart marks 27 structure features on Priest Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 281 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Idaho waters are set by the Idaho Fish and Game — and special regulations can apply to Priest Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Idaho fishing regulations →
Priest Lake is about 330 ft (101 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target lake trout, kokanee, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, lake whitefish on Priest Lake.
Reeder Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Priest Lake is regulated by the Idaho Fish and Game. Check the official Idaho regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
North Skookum Lake 20 mi, WA · South Skookum Lake 21 mi, WA · Blue Lake 23 mi · Sullivan Lake 24 mi, WA · Marshall Lake 26 mi, WA · Mill Pond 26 mi, WA · Boundary Lake 28 mi, BC · Lake Leo 29 mi, WA · Lake Heritage 30 mi, WA · Lake Thomas 30 mi, WA · Gillette Lake 30 mi, WA · Sherry Lake 31 mi, WA
See how Priest Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Idaho · best rainbow trout lakes in Idaho · best lake trout lakes in Idaho · best kokanee lakes in Idaho
More water nearby: Bonner County fishing maps (6 charts). Browse all Idaho fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.