Payette Lake near McCall, Idaho, is best known for kokanee, lake trout, cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. Idaho Fish and Game lists those four as the lake’s principal recommended game fish. Agency surveys have also documented whitefish, bass, perch, suckers, chubs, shiners, bull trout, brook trout, splake and a rainbow–cutthroat hybrid. Because those additional records come from surveys conducted in different years, they document presence rather than equal abundance today.
The principal fish in Payette Lake
| Species | What the official records show | Management context |
|---|---|---|
| Kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) | Native to Payette Lake and also hatchery-supplemented; a principal target. | Idaho Fish and Game monitors the population and adds fingerlings. The 2026 planner records 36,259 fingerlings stocked on June 17, 2026. |
| Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) | A principal target and the lake’s trophy-oriented wild fish. | They prey on kokanee. The management plan calls for suppression gillnetting to reduce recruitment while retaining a trophy lake-trout fishery. |
| Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) | A recommended game fish supported by hatchery stocking. | The 2026 planner records 2,030 triploid catchable trout stocked August 5 and 5,016 stocked July 13. |
| Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) | A recommended game fish documented in the survey history. | The available record establishes occurrence, not a current abundance estimate. |
Idaho Fish and Game’s 2025–2030 Payette River Drainage plan describes Payette Lake as about 4,990 acres and identifies lake trout as wild and natural, kokanee as both wild and hatchery-supported, and rainbow trout as hatchery-supported.
Other fish documented by Idaho Fish and Game
Survey records also list the following species. Their observation dates differ, so anglers should not assume each is common or readily catchable throughout the lake.
- Mountain whitefish
- Northern pikeminnow
- Smallmouth bass
- Yellow perch
- Brook trout
- Bull trout
- Splake, a lake-trout hybrid
- Rainbow × cutthroat trout
- Lake chub
- Redside shiner
- Largescale sucker
- Bridgelip sucker
- Catostomus (sucker) records
These are documented survey observations, not a ranking of the lake’s present-day fishery. The official Fishing Planner is the most useful place to check current species and stocking information.
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Why kokanee and lake trout receive so much attention
Kokanee are native and actively supplemented
Kokanee are the landlocked form of sockeye salmon. Idaho Fish and Game states that kokanee and their anadromous relatives, sockeye salmon, are native to Payette Lake. Historical documents cited by the agency indicate that commercial fisheries harvested as many as 75,000 kokanee and sockeye combined in a year during 1870–1880.
The agency stocked about 400,000 kokanee fingerlings in 2020 and planned annual stocking through at least 2024 after lake-trout suppression improved conditions. That historical figure should not be confused with the current program: the current planner records 36,259 fingerlings stocked on June 17, 2026.
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Lake trout are managed as both a trophy fish and a predator
Lake trout consume kokanee, so Idaho Fish and Game uses suppression gillnetting to limit lake-trout recruitment and improve kokanee survival. More than 2,500 lake trout had been removed since 2014 according to a 2022 agency update. The goal is not to eliminate lake trout; it is to maintain a trophy fishery while protecting the kokanee population.
McCall fisheries biologist Mike Thomas summarized the improvement in fish condition by saying, “We’re not seeing skinny 30-inch fish anymore.” That comment describes the agency’s management assessment at the time and is not a guarantee about every fish caught.
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How stocking and spawning affect the fishery
The drainage plan calls for continued kokanee monitoring and supplemental stocking. It also includes protection for adult kokanee in the North Fork Payette River during spawning. Those actions address different life stages: stocking supports recruitment in the lake, while river protections safeguard naturally spawning adults.
Rainbow trout stocking is separate from kokanee recovery. The 2026 entries are specifically triploid catchable rainbow trout, while kokanee stocking is recorded as fingerlings. “Triploid” refers to hatchery fish produced for catch-and-release or harvest programs that are intended to be reproductively sterile; it does not mean they are kokanee or lake trout.
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Payette Lake access for anglers
The current Idaho Fish and Game Fishing Planner lists 4,987.4 acres, no motor restriction, a boat ramp, dock, toilet, campground and ADA access. It designates Payette Lake as a recommended fishing water. The planner’s 4,987.4-acre figure and the drainage plan’s 4,990-acre figure are both agency measurements presented at different levels of precision.
Before you fish
- Check the current Idaho Fish and Game regulations for seasons, limits, tackle rules and species-specific restrictions before your trip.
- Use the current Fishing Planner entry for the latest stocking and access information; stocking dates and quantities can change by year.
- Treat older survey records as evidence that a species was observed, not as proof that it is abundant or available in every part of the lake.
- Follow any special rules protecting spawning kokanee in the North Fork Payette River.
What can you catch in Payette Lake?
For the most established angling opportunities, focus on kokanee, lake trout, rainbow trout and cutthroat trout. The lake also has documented populations or observations of several other species, but the available records do not establish that they are equally common or currently targeted. Check the latest Idaho Fish and Game rules and planner entry for conditions in the season you plan to visit.
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