Wyoming/Idaho/Utah Fishing-Boat-Cabin Trip help please?

[Tranceplant]

After towing my boat to many lakes across Colorado, I was hoping someone here could suggest a lake outside of my home state where my wife and I could spend a week next summer. We live in Denver and would like to keep the drive to 8 hours or less (4-6 would be preferred). We're considering Wyoming, Utah and Idaho (Montana is likely too far).

I'd be pulling my boat, so we'd need a boat ramp (and a lake that allows motors). I'd like to stay away from lakes overrun with watersporters (like jet skis).

I'd love to camp, but to keep the wife happy we're looking to reserve a cabin. Doesn't have to be much just a roof and maybe a shower and refrigerator. If we could beach or dock the boat, even better. I'd love to walleye fish at Glendo, but I'm afraid that will be too crowded....

I'm thinking the sooner we reserve a cabin, the better. Thanks in advance for your help. Great site!

[Aluma165]

Tranceplant: Welcome. Sounds like a perfect vacation at Henrys Lake State Park. No lake lice, small cabins, great showers, boat launch, and monster trout. Can't miss if you learn the in's and out's. Start reading the Henrys posts. You may want to pull your boat in and out due to limited "in water" parking but the parking area is adjacent and is an easy launch and recovery. Fish mornings and evenings and day trip into Yellowstone just 12 miles away...
Probably more like 12 hours from Denver pulling a boat? Not sure.
Best in late spring - early summer before the mid-summer heat. Fall is even better after the lake flips.
Aluma165 in Boise.
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[Tranceplant]

Great info and idea, thanks! Do you have any suggestions about how to go about finding and renting a cabin (less that $100/day)?

Thanks again.
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[Aluma165]

Go to Idaho Parks and Recreation or Henrys Lake State Park website and get reservation information. I've never rented one of the little cabins but heard they are a bit pricey for what they are... No idea what the prices are.
Very decent heated, clean restrooms and showers are free.
Fall temps are COOL at night and the cabins are heated. (+++)
I'll be there in October but I pull my trailer. Not a handful of folks (at least during the week) by mid-October and the fishing is usually pretty good; even from the shore.
Weather, algae, weeds, etc., are all variables.
Good luck.
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[Tranceplant]

Yeah I've gathered some pretty good info. I'm pretty computer-savvy, but I can't find a designated Henrys Lake board on this site. A search came up with one thread talking about how poor the fishing has been lately. Am I missing something?

Thanks again -
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[Kodiak1]

For a cabin rental, try Widl Rose Resort at Henry's Lake. Another suggestion for perhaps Idaho's most beautiful lake is Redfish Lake. There a plenty of cabin rentals, other nearby lakes to explore, and to leave most people behind you, you can take your boat to the upper end of the lake to a boat-only campground with one of the most beautiful settings you will ever see, with the Sawtooth Mountains literally dropping into the lake. Ghost towns nearby to explore, a fun little town--Stanley, and much more. If your priority is fishing, then go the Henry's Lake, which is only a few miles from the West Yellowstone entrance, but is your priority is beautiful settings, go the Stanley/Redfish area. Mike
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[Tranceplant]

I would love to go to Redfish, it looks beautiful - but it's simply too far from Denver to drive, especially pulling a boat.

Thanks for your input. curt
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[Aluma165]

Probably more Henrys Lake info on this board than most others. Angler's Guide gives some general info and there is a small tackle shop in Ashton that is a good source of current conditions. This is a fairly slow time of the year until the lake flips. The further into the fall the better and colder it gets. Toward the end of this month it will pick up and the posts here will pick up.
I usually head over between September 20th thru October. Not sure when the lake closes this year; it's extended through November 30th some years. Very cold by mid November. Someone might chime in with the 2009 end date.
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[flygoddess]

Seeing you asked, I will jump in with some CLOSER destinations. First off, have you checked into the RENT A RV? That might be sixes with the price of a cabin and in many cases, allot nicer!
STRAWBERRY in Utah. Big enough, never crowded, and big fish.
You say WALLEYE, then maybe Starvation. Again...not sure about close Cabins.
What about Flaming Gorge?

Also in Idaho (a little closer) is Chesterfield. Some BIG Kamloops in there.
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[windriver]

Everyone is giving you great advice.

Henrys Lake-Wildrose Ranch. I think it is now called Jared's Wildrose Ranch.

If you go to Chesterfield you could stay at Lava Hotsprings and soak at night. There are some very affordable rental homes and apartments that aren't too bad. In the winter we fish Chesterfield go back and swim at night then fish at Chesterfield the next day.

In Utah I would go with Strawberry Res. or Fish Lake.

I think Fish Lake would be the closest to I-70. There are many cabins for rent and the fishing is very good for perch, splake, and lake trout.

In order to check old posts go to the search feature next to the "whos online button" It should show up on every page.

Windriver
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[Tranceplant]

Thanks everyone, this is exactly the kind of information I was looking for.
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[MONTANA_MAN]

[quote Tranceplant] We live in Denver and would like to keep the drive to 8 hours or less (4-6 would be preferred). We're considering Wyoming, Utah and Idaho (Montana is likely too far). [/quote]

Why not just go up I25 to Wyoming? There are dozens of reservoirs with great fishing within a 100 mile radius from the freeway all the way up to the MT border (Tongure River Reservoir). All good fishing with lots of different species. Denver to Sheridan is about 6 hours. Very little fishing pressure because that area of the state is so remote. It's also easy for you to get there. The North Platte also has several reservoirs along its path...awesome fishing. My 2 cents.
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[flygoddess]

Wyoming is under rated. Naughton (s/p) has some MONSTER browns, but I didn't say that[] Used to be some cool little cabins there also.
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[weinerz4chopz]

I would go to Fishlake in Utah. There are big macs and tons of trout and splake. No water skiers,it would only be 8 hour drive from Denver it is not far off of I 70. They have cabins restaurants everything you need . Google Bowery Haven they are the cheapest and the best people to deal with
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[Tranceplant]

Based on your advice and my research, I'm thinking Fish Lake is the way to go. Mostly interstate driving, new lake with good fishing, etc.

Thanks everyone, much appreciated.

curt
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[flygoddess]

ME TOO and I live here[laugh]
Thanks weinerz4chopz!!!!
Got to find out more about that name
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[weinerz4chopz]

So Fishlake it is. You can hit me up with a pm for some advice if you need to . And the weinerz4chopz comes from my weiner dogs who I and they love to fish and my nickname is chop
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[flygoddess]

I understand totally:


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[Troll]

Also, right next to Fish Lake is Johnson res. There be tiger muskies in there!
I mean right next to, too. Like 1 mile farther up the road, there is a ramp there as well.
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[Tranceplant]

So we're planning on going to Fish Lake at the end of May into the first week of June, for a variety of reasons - including better fishing. Do I need to worry about ice on the lake still at that point?

thanks