“Lake Ponderay” usually means Lake Pend Oreille, the large Idaho lake beside the town of Ponderay. Idaho Fish and Game lists kokanee, Kamloops rainbow trout, bull trout and lake trout among its notable fishing targets, along with bass, walleye, northern pike, perch, crappie, whitefish, sunfish, catfish and other trout.
First, the name: Ponderay is the town
Lake Pend Oreille is the official lake name used by Idaho Fish and Game. Ponderay is a nearby town in Bonner County, so a question about the “fish in Lake Ponderay” is generally a question about Lake Pend Oreille. The lake lies in Bonner and Kootenai counties. See the Idaho Fish and Game Lake Pend Oreille Fishing Planner for the agency’s lake-specific information.
The planner describes a waterbody of 92,764.4 acres, 144 miles of shoreline and depth exceeding 1,170 feet. Those measurements are agency figures and are not independent measurements in this article.
Fish you may find in Lake Pend Oreille
Idaho Fish and Game’s “recommended game fish” list is a practical guide to species managed or recognized for angling. It is not a complete scientific inventory of every fish in the lake.
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- FIELD GUIDE TO FRESHWATER FISH
| Fish | What the official information indicates |
|---|---|
| Kokanee | A major forage and sport-fish species highlighted in the lake overview. |
| Kamloops rainbow trout | A notable target identified in the lake overview. |
| Rainbow trout | Included on the recommended-game-fish list; the planner sets a specific harvest limit. |
| Bull trout | Highlighted as a notable fish and identified by Idaho Fish and Game as native. |
| Westslope cutthroat trout | Native fish supported by the lake’s fishery; cutthroat harvest is prohibited under the planner’s special rules. |
| Lake trout | A notable target; the planner lists no limit on lake trout. |
| Brown trout | Included on the recommended-game-fish list. |
| Brook trout | Recorded in a 2020 survey observation on the planner. |
| Mountain whitefish | Included on the recommended-game-fish list. |
| Largemouth bass | Included on the recommended list and recorded in a 2023 survey observation. |
| Smallmouth bass | Included on the recommended list and recorded in a 2023 survey observation. |
| Walleye | Included on the recommended list and actively managed at low density to reduce predation on kokanee. |
| Northern pike | Included on the recommended-game-fish list. |
| Yellow perch | Included on the recommended-game-fish list. |
| White crappie | Included on the recommended-game-fish list. |
| Black crappie | Recorded in a 2020 survey observation. |
| Bullhead catfish | Included on the recommended-game-fish list. |
| Bluegill, pumpkinseed and other sunfish | Grouped together on the recommended-game-fish list. |
The planner’s recommended list and its survey-observation list serve different purposes. A recommended species is not necessarily a confirmation that every individual species was found in a particular recent survey, while a survey observation is tied to the year shown. Neither list should be read as a complete inventory of all fish in Lake Pend Oreille.
The best-known angling targets
Kokanee and the trout that feed on them
Kokanee are landlocked sockeye salmon and one of Lake Pend Oreille’s defining fish. They also support the lake’s larger predator fish. Idaho Fish and Game says kokanee numbers nearly collapsed in the 2000s after excessive predation, then substantially recovered after predator-management work. That recovery also restored much of the trophy potential for fish that eat kokanee. The agency’s fisheries overview explains this history at Lake Pend Oreille Fisheries.
Lake trout, bull trout and rainbow trout
Lake trout, bull trout and Kamloops rainbow trout are prominent targets in the planner’s overview. Bull trout and Westslope cutthroat trout are native species. Idaho Fish and Game also reports that the lake supports more than 10 non-native species, so Lake Pend Oreille’s fish community combines native fish with a broad introduced-fish component.
Walleye
Walleye are managed as a low-density population because of their potential to prey on kokanee. In a July 9, 2025 article, Idaho Fish and Game reported an abundant 14–17-inch “eater-size” year class. That observation describes conditions reported in 2025; it is not a promise about the size or abundance of walleye today. The agency’s target-fishing information is available in its Lake Pend Oreille walleye article.
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Bass, pike, perch and crappie
Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, white crappie and sunfish broaden the lake’s warm-water fishing opportunities. The planner records largemouth and smallmouth bass in 2023, and black crappie and brook trout in 2020. These are dated observations, not current abundance estimates or catch-rate comparisons.
What is native, and what is introduced?
Idaho Fish and Game specifically identifies Westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout as native fish in Lake Pend Oreille. The agency says more than 10 non-native species also occur in the lake, but the cited overview does not assign a native or introduced label to every species in the planner’s game-fish list. It is therefore safer to describe the lake as a mixed native and non-native fishery than to apply an unsupported status to each fish.
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Check the rules before fishing
Bag limits, size limits and closed seasons can change and may differ by species or waterbody. The planner’s special-rules section states that cutthroat trout harvest is prohibited, rainbow trout are limited to two with only one over 20 inches, and lake trout have no limit; it also lists bass and other provisions. Confirm the rule in force on the day you fish through the Lake Pend Oreille Fishing Planner and Idaho Fish and Game’s Fishing Seasons and Rules page, which currently identifies the 2025–2027 rules, second edition, revised September 2026.
- Identify your catch before keeping it, especially where trout species have different protections.
- Use the current lake-specific limits rather than an old guidebook or an undated online list.
- Treat survey years and reported year classes as time-specific information, not guarantees of present conditions.
Bottom line
If someone asks about fish in “Lake Ponderay,” they almost certainly mean Lake Pend Oreille. The lake is known for kokanee, Kamloops rainbow trout, bull trout and lake trout, while its broader game-fish list includes bass, walleye, pike, perch, crappie, whitefish, sunfish, catfish and several other trout. Because the fishery and regulations change, verify the current Idaho Fish and Game rules before casting or keeping a fish.
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