Hayden Lake Fishing

Hayden Lake provides 3,800 acres of great fishing in the Upper Spokane Basin. With 40 miles of shoreline, you’ll have plenty of spots to fish for the various fish cold- and warm-water species found here, such as salmon, trout, northern pike, sunfish, crappie, perch, and bass. The regular stocking of trout and kokanee ensures plentiful catches. During the winter, you can go ice fishing, given the ice is safe to access. The best place for ice fishing for northern pike is in the northern area of the lake. You can easily access the lake using one of the recreational and fishing boat launches. There are no motor horsepower restrictions here at Hayden Lake.

From late April to June, Hayden Lake’s big fish move into the shallows. Hayden Lake’s rocks will absorb heat and attract fish, so try fishing around rocky shorelines. When the water reaches sixty degrees, that’s when the fish really start biting.

During summer heat, the fish swim deeper into the water, so try sinking your lines. If you’re there for trout fishing, use large beetles and foam ants. Since these fish can be aggressive, use a sturdy fast-action rod. Catch smallmouths with poppers, especially with rubber legs, and cork poppers of any color. Try crayfish patterns, especially heavy ones, around those rocky shorelines. Black and white clouser minnows are a great option for when you need to fish deep. Rabbit strip and worm flies also work very well, since smallmouths love plastic worms, especially ones that are long and patterned.

The bass catch limit is six, only two of which can be largemouths. Hayden Lake is open all year.

Hayden Lake Fish:

Hayden Lake boat ramps:

The following boat ramps provide access to Hayden Lake.

Hayden Lake Boat Ramp
2409 E Hayden Lake Rd Hayden, ID
Directions