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Fishing Priest Lake: what the data says
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 contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Lake Trout fishing at Priest Lake
In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. Shoreline point is the standout, a point at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for spring lake trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Kokanee fishing at Priest Lake
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. By summer they slide out to 30 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. Reeder Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall kokanee. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Priest Lake
In spring, cutthroat trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. Reeder Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring cutthroat trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Priest Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Reeder Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Priest Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on Priest Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 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. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Priest Lake
Spring lake whitefish on Priest Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 40 to 90 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 70 ft. Sharp break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 77.2506129316304 ft, rated prime for summer lake whitefish. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 281 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 165 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 83 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 83 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 77.2506129316304 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 30 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 24 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 13.424772615272321 ft
- Reeder Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 5.042215312311203 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Priest Lake?
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.
What fish are in Priest Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, lake trout, kokanee, lake whitefish, cutthroat trout on Priest Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Priest Lake?
Reeder Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a 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.
When is the best time to fish Priest Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Blue Lake · Round Lake · Shepherd Lake · Kelso Lake · Lake Pend Oreille · Perkins Lake
See how Priest Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Idaho · best rainbow trout lakes in Idaho · best kokanee lakes in Idaho · best lake whitefish lakes in Idaho
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