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Palisades Dam to Heise: cottonwood side channels stacked with cutthroat and big browns. The river tops out around 12 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Snake River (South Fork) runs 1,569 acres with 79.7 miles of edge. An index of 14.4 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. End to end it runs roughly 29.8 mi, about 6.2 mi across. You'll find it in Bonneville County. The nearest mapped water is Palisades Reservoir, 23 mi to the southeast.
Early season cutthroat trout use the shallows, holding in 2 to 12 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 12 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 12 ft. Put Current seam (mile 4.4) first on the milk run — a current seam near 7 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 4.4) (7 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 4.4) (7 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 4.4) (7 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 4.4) (7 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Early season brown trout use the shallows, holding in 1 to 12 ft. Even in summer they hold at 4 to 12 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 12 ft. Put Current seam (mile 4.4) first on the milk run — a current seam near 7 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Lowhead weir tailrace (10 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dawn | Current seam (mile 4.4) (7 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (10 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 3 to 12 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 12 ft through summer, 2 to 12 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Current seam (mile 4.4), a current seam in the 7 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 4.4) (7 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 4.4) (7 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 4.4) (7 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 4.4) (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The chart marks 26 structure features on Snake River (South Fork); the deepest is Palisades tailrace at about 10 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Snake River (South Fork) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Idaho fishing regulations →
Snake River (South Fork) is about 12 ft (4 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 cutthroat trout, brown trout, rainbow trout on Snake River (South Fork).
Current seam (mile 4.4) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For cutthroat trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Snake River (South Fork) 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.
Palisades Reservoir 23 mi, ID/WY · R Park Pond 30 mi, WY · Phelps Lake 34 mi, WY · Lake Solitude 37 mi, WY · Holly Lake 38 mi, WY · Jenny Lake 40 mi, WY · Murphy Lake, Lower 41 mi, WY · Stump Lake 43 mi, WY · Ashton Reservoir 43 mi · Bearpaw Lake 43 mi, WY · Snake River (Jackson) 45 mi, WY · Chesterfield Reservoir 48 mi
See how Snake River (South Fork) stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Idaho · best brown trout lakes in Idaho · best cutthroat trout lakes in Idaho
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.