Upland Natural Lake · Mixed · Idaho, US

Henrys Lake

Aerial view of Henrys Lake at sunset with mountains along the far shore, Idaho, Greater Yellowstone region

Henrys Lake is a shallow, fabulously fertile natural lake up near the Idaho-Montana line, and it grows trout the size of footballs — big cutthroat, brook trout, and the famous hybrid 'cutbows' that pull like freight trains.

Fair · Cutthroat Trout
Balanced Leech · 8-12
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
49% confidence
limited data

Henrys Lake is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindS 5 km/hCalm
Today's fly
Balanced Leech
Balanced Leech8-12
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Calm
S 5 km/h
N
S
from the south
WaveRipple
Water temp10.4°C
Air temp11°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1014 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

How to fish it · for Cutthroat Trout
When
Spring and autumn for the big shallow-moving fish; avoid warm midsummer
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 4 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Flying AntsHatch
1
2
1
Gray DrakeHatch
1
1
CallibaetisHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Cutthroat Trout fly box
CH
Chironomid
12-16 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Idaho stillwater regulations — check Idaho Fish & Game.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
88%
Cloud100%
Wind100%
Temp60%

Conditions are ideal for Henrys Lake — wind, cloud and temperature all line up.

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. Aerial view of Henrys Lake at sunset with mountains along the far shore, Idaho, Greater Yellowstone region
    Henrys Lake at sunset, Idaho
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Henrys Lake is a shallow, fabulously fertile natural lake up near the Idaho-Montana line, and it grows trout the size of footballs — big cutthroat, brook trout, and the famous hybrid 'cutbows' that pull like freight trains. It's a stillwater game played from a tube or a boat, working damsels, leeches, and scuds along the weed edges and spring inlets. The lake gets warm and weedy in high summer and fishes best on the cool shoulders, spring and fall, when those heavy fish move shallow and a slow retrieve gets eaten hard.

  • Lake
  • Mixed
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic lifeNot assessed
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Henrys Lake' (ID17040202SK032L_0L), 2022 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Assessed. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · ID17040202SK032L_0L

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Cloud cover (cloud) suits the fishery well.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout Saturday of Memorial Day weekend31 October
Related guides
Booking & contacts