Lake Pend Oreille: The Bottomless Abyss That Swallowed the Ice Age

I drove north out of Coeur d’Alene expecting another postcard lake, maybe a bigger version of the tourist circus down south. What hit me was a glacial scar 43 miles long, 148 square miles of surface pretending to be calm, plunging to 1,152 feet—fifth-deepest in the nation, deeper than most men care to think about. This thing was carved by ice sheets grinding south from Canada, then blasted by the Missoula Floods until the earth screamed. Elevation hovers around 2,058–2,062 feet, normal pool held by the Army Corps dam at Albeni Falls like a reluctant warden. Surround it with the Selkirks, Cabinets, and Bitterroots rising 6,000 feet straight up, and you’ve got a landscape that doesn’t invite you in—it dares you to survive it.

Sandpoint sits at the north end like a nervous sentry, boardwalk buzzing, but out on the water? Pure, echoing silence broken only by the slap of waves against hulls that feel suddenly too small. This lake doesn’t play nice like Hayden’s quiet sibling or Coeur d’Alene’s party boat. It broods. It hides things. The Navy still tests submarine models down in those black depths—sonar pings bouncing forever—because the water’s so cold, so still, so endless it mimics the ocean without the salt or the mercy.

Boating here is no casual cruise. Rentals from Sandpoint to Bayview—jet skis, pontoons, sailboats, kayaks—launch you into water that can turn mean fast. Paddle the back bays for peace, or throttle up and feel the wind howl off the mountains. Farragut State Park at the south end offers beaches, trails, and that old WWII naval ghost vibe—4,000 acres of pine and history where you half-expect to see destroyers rising from the murk. And when the sun drops? It doesn’t set; it implodes. Golden fire across water so clear you see straight to the abyss, reflections sharper than accusations.

Fishing? This is where the real paranoia sets in. Trophy everything: Kamloops (Gerrard) rainbow trout that hit 30+ pounds (state record 37 lbs from ’47 still haunts the place), lake trout (mackinaw) pushing 40+ lbs, rebounding kokanee salmon schools after predator purges, native Westslope cutthroat and threatened bull trout (catch-and-release only, sacred ground). Throw in brown trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass in the sloughs, walleye (illegal stocking, harvest encouraged), northern pike, yellow perch, black crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, whitefish. The predators feed on the kokanee horde; the kokanee feed on plankton; you feed on the chaos.

Charters out of Sandpoint or Bayview will take you deep—downriggers, lead-core, the works—but bring respect. This lake has collapsed fisheries before; it’s rebuilding now, balanced on a knife-edge of management and angler harvest.

Shoreline hiking? Tubbs Hill-style trails, but bigger—Farragut’s woodland paths, Green Bay cobblestone beaches, remote inlets where ospreys dive and bald eagles watch like judges. Swim in the shallows if you dare; the cold grips like regret.

In the end, Lake Pend Oreille is the savage truth of North Idaho: beautiful beyond reason, deep beyond sanity, indifferent to your plans. It swallowed glaciers, floods, submarines, and dreams. You come for the fish, the views, the escape—you leave knowing the real monster is still down there, waiting.

Lake Pend Oreille Fish Species

The full lineup draws from native stocks, long-time introductions, and a few controversial ones (walleye and northern pike get harvest encouragement to keep them in check). Here’s the breakdown of common and notable species:

• Kamloops/Gerrard Rainbow Trout — The legendary trophies; state record 37 lbs from 1947 still stands, with modern catches pushing 20-30+ lbs common in good years. Kokanee-fueled beasts that fight like freight trains.
• Lake Trout (Mackinaw) — Deep-water predators up to 40+ lbs (lake record over 43 lbs); populations suppressed but still deliver big hauls for deep trollers.
• Bull Trout — Native, threatened species; world-record 32 lbs from 1949. Strictly catch-and-release only—sacred, migratory char that demand respect.
• Westslope Cutthroat Trout — Native beauties in tributaries and shallows; strong fighters with classic spots.
• Brown Trout — Solid sizes in rivers and lake edges.
• Kokanee Salmon — Landlocked sockeye rebounding strong after predator control; schools of 1-2+ lbs, excellent table fare and bait for bigger fish.
• Smallmouth Bass and Largemouth Bass — Smallmouth dominate rocky points and structure (often 4-6+ lbs averages in spots); largemouth less common but bigger in sloughs.
• Yellow Perch — Abundant in shallows, great ice fishing.
• Black Crappie — Panfish action in bays and weeds.
• Bluegill and Pumpkinseed Sunfish — Warm-water fun in summer shallows.
• Walleye — Illegal intro, but growing; IDFG suppresses via netting and encourages harvest—no limits, great eating.
• Northern Pike — Toothy invasives in weedy areas; harvest encouraged.
• Others: Mountain Whitefish, Northern Pikeminnow (squawfish), occasional Brook Trout hybrids like Cutbow (rainbow-cutthroat cross, record 24 lbs from 1991).