One of my favorite Idaho fishing experiences is float tubing in a scenic, secluded alpine lake, casting lures to one of the most beautiful species in the fish world: the westslope cutthroat trout.
Idaho is home to four subspecies of cutthroat — Yellowstone, Lahontan, Bonneville and westslope — and while they all have their own unique beauty, the westslope takes top prize for its striking aesthetics. With its olive green back, golden sides, dramatic orange throat slash, and belly coloration ranging from pink to firetruck red, the westslope makes a strong case as the best-looking fish swimming in Idaho.
Adding to the beauty of it all is the westslope’s preferred habitat: high-elevation lakes and streams deep in the Idaho backcountry. These fisheries almost always require a hike, and I prefer to explore them during backpacking trips, where encounters with other humans are rare. I often pick my destinations based on the presence of westslope cutthroat, which can be found by browsing stocking records on Idaho Fish and Game’s website. In an interesting twist, IDFG does most of its alpine fish stocking by plane! Trout fry (babies) are carried into the mountains by planes with water tanks, and as they pass over their target lakes, it’s bombs away!
Hiking into westslope country is usually the most difficult part of catching one. The angler access season (typically July through September, although intrepid hikers can stretch that a bit) corresponds with their prime feeding season, so westslope are usually eager eaters. My go-to westslope presentations include Panther Martin and Rooster Tail spinners, Rapalas, small jigs, and flies — especially topwater ant and grasshopper patterns — fished on ultralight tackle.
It’s worth noting that fish size and population are closely linked in alpine lakes. If you find a lake that’s loaded, catch rates will be high, but fish over 12 inches will be rare. In more sparsely populated fisheries, bites will be fewer and farther between, but you’ll have a better shot at quality fish in the 14-to-18-inch range. Westslopes are strong fighters, and they make good eating. I release most of mine, but I harvest a fish or two for dinner in the mountains. Nothing beats lemon pepper trout on the campfire or stove!
There’s still time this season to get out and chase an alpine westslope cutthroat. I promise the experience will be worth the hiking effort. Tight lines!