Upper Salmon is the more straightforward starting point for many visitors. Lower Salmon has more difficult, vegetated shoreline and can better suit anglers equipped to fish from the water.

Access: Confirm which lake, legal public access, and launch plan. Respect private lodge frontage. A float tube or small boat adds reach as well as cold-water exposure and equipment.

Fishing approach: Work points, structure, and depth changes. At Lower Salmon, weed growth can make a shore-only plan frustrating.

Host tip: Choose Upper Salmon for a simpler first visit; plan Lower Salmon around suitable equipment and time.

Before you go: Seasonal access, limited services, and shoreline boundaries affect both lakes.

Details for your plan

Area

Lakes Basin

Type of outing

Road-access alpine

From the Lodge

Allow a mountain half-day

Access

Different access at each lake

Fish to look for

Rainbow & brook trout

The idea

Two lakes. Two different fishing days.

Make a day of it

A quiet mountain lunch