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Fishing Upper Payette Lake: what the data says
302-acre lake near Valley. The lake tops out around 85 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Upper Payette Lake
Spring cutthroat trout on Upper Payette Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Twentymile Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in spring. 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 Upper Payette 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. If you only fish one area, make it Twentymile Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| 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) |
Kokanee fishing at Upper Payette Lake
Spring kokanee on Upper Payette Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 72 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around early morning in the warm months. 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 |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 72 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 43 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 38 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 21 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 21 ft
- Twentymile 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
Common questions
How deep is Upper Payette Lake?
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.
What fish are in Upper Payette Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, kokanee, cutthroat trout on Upper Payette Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Upper Payette Lake?
Twentymile 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 Upper Payette Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Goose Lake · Blackwell Lake · Payette Lake · Lost Valley Reservoir · Cascade Reservoir · Hornet Reservoir
See how Upper Payette Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Idaho · best kokanee lakes in Idaho · best cutthroat trout lakes in Idaho
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