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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
302-acre lake near Valley. The lake tops out around 85 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Traced from the shoreline, Upper Payette Lake runs 292 acres with 5.1 miles of edge, with a single island in the mix. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 2.1) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Roughly 45% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 2 mi long by 0.4 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Valley County. The nearest mapped water is Goose Lake, 8 mi to the southwest.
When the water first warms, cutthroat trout slide up into 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Twentymile Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Twentymile Creek inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (38 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (38 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Twentymile Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Twentymile Creek inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Twentymile Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (21 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (38 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts kokanee in skinny water — 10 to 30 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 30 to 70 ft, wintering in 20 to 80 ft. Winter kokanee concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 72 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (72 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Deep basin (72 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Twentymile Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (72 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
9 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 72 ft, is the deepest of them.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30 | Rainbow Trout | — | ~13" |
| Jun 17 | Kokanee | — | ~1.5" |
| Aug 5, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | — | ~13" |
| Aug 5, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | — | ~4.5" |
Source: Idaho Fish & Game stocking records, retrieved 2026-09-03.
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 Upper Payette Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Idaho fishing regulations →
Upper Payette Lake is about 85 ft (26 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, rainbow trout, kokanee on Upper Payette Lake.
Twentymile 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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.
Yes — per Idaho Fish & Game stocking records records, Upper Payette Lake was most recently stocked Jun 30 with rainbow trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Upper Payette 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.
Goose Lake 8 mi · Blackwell Lake 11 mi · Payette Lake 14 mi · Lost Valley Reservoir 24 mi · Cascade Reservoir 35 mi · Hornet Reservoir 42 mi · Sage Hen Reservoir 56 mi · Deadwood Reservoir 59 mi · Ice Lake 61 mi, OR · Brownlee Reservoir 64 mi, ID/OR · Cape Horn Lake #1 66 mi · Mann Creek Reservoir 66 mi
See how Upper Payette Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Idaho · best kokanee lakes in Idaho · best cutthroat trout lakes in Idaho
More water nearby: Valley County fishing maps (5 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.