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In Idaho, Payette Lake is a lake used for time on and around the water. Fish documented in the area include Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, and Mackinaw (Lake Trout). Its recorded surface area is approximately 5,330 acres. It reaches a maximum depth of roughly 392 feet at an elevation of about 4,990 feet. Water data on this page comes from a mapped monitoring station near the lake. Coverage here includes an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. If you are planning a trip, Lake Cascade, Brownlee Reservoir, and Deadwood Reservoir are also nearby. This page combines the live forecast, wind, and conditions for Payette Lake so you can plan a visit.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 10, 9:55 PM MDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (76/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (89/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 84/100 across these hours. Wind 7 mph from the north. Dawn hours (07:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 40° | 39° | 39° | 38° | 38° | 37° | 37° | 37° | 35° | 35° | 34° | 33° | 34° | 36° | 36° | 38° | 39° | 40° | 42° | 42° | 42° | 42° | 41° | 39° |
| Wind (kts) | 13 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 |
| Direction | N | N | N | N | NE | NE | NE | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | W | W | W | W | NW | N | N | N | N |
| Gusts (kts) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 22 |
| Precip % | 14% | 23% | 32% | 43% | 40% | 41% | 33% | 27% | 31% | 27% | 22% | 21% | 23% | 16% | 13% | 13% | 17% | 22% | 27% | 27% | 42% | 59% | 61% | 20% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 9 PM MDT | 40°F | 15 mph N (0°) | 24 mph | 14% | 60% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 10 PM MDT | 39°F | 15 mph N (0°) | 24 mph | 23% | 68% | Isolated Rain Showers |
| Sat, 11 PM MDT | 39°F | 12 mph N (0°) | 24 mph | 32% | 77% | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Sun, 12 AM MDT | 38°F | 10 mph N (0°) | 23 mph | 43% | 84% | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Sun, 1 AM MDT | 38°F | 8 mph NNE (23°) | 21 mph | 40% | 84% | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Sun, 2 AM MDT | 37°F | 5 mph NNE (23°) | 15 mph | 41% | 77% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 3 AM MDT | 37°F | 5 mph NE (45°) | 15 mph | 33% | 80% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 4 AM MDT | 37°F | 3 mph N (0°) | 13 mph | 27% | 79% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 5 AM MDT | 35°F | 3 mph N (0°) | 13 mph | 31% | 76% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sun, 6 AM MDT | 35°F | 7 mph N (0°) | 13 mph | 27% | 73% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sun, 7 AM MDT | 34°F | 7 mph N (0°) | 13 mph | 22% | 84% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sun, 8 AM MDT | 33°F | 8 mph N (0°) | 14 mph | 21% | 86% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sun, 9 AM MDT | 34°F | 9 mph N (0°) | 16 mph | 23% | 69% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 10 AM MDT | 36°F | 7 mph N (0°) | 17 mph | 16% | 62% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 11 AM MDT | 36°F | 6 mph NNW (338°) | 14 mph | 13% | 63% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sun, 12 PM MDT | 38°F | 7 mph W (270°) | 16 mph | 13% | 61% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sun, 1 PM MDT | 39°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 14 mph | 17% | 53% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sun, 2 PM MDT | 40°F | 7 mph W (270°) | 10 mph | 22% | 52% | Isolated Rain Showers |
| Sun, 3 PM MDT | 42°F | 8 mph W (270°) | 12 mph | 27% | 63% | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Sun, 4 PM MDT | 42°F | 8 mph NW (315°) | 13 mph | 27% | 70% | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Sun, 5 PM MDT | 42°F | 12 mph N (0°) | 16 mph | 42% | 75% | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Sun, 6 PM MDT | 42°F | 14 mph N (0°) | 21 mph | 59% | 96% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 7 PM MDT | 41°F | 16 mph N (0°) | 25 mph | 61% | 96% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 8 PM MDT | 39°F | 17 mph N (0°) | 25 mph | 20% | 96% | Isolated Rain Showers |
| Sun, 9 PM MDT | 38°F | 16 mph N (0°) | 25 mph | 26% | 96% | Scattered Rain Showers |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Tonight October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 | Friday October 16, 2026 | Friday Night October 16, 2026 | Saturday October 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 32° | 43° | 30° | 45° | 28° | 51° | 30° | 56° | 34° | 59° | 34° | 61° | 38° | 61° |
| Wind | NNE 3 to 15 mph | NW 6 to 12 mph | N 5 to 17 mph | WSW 7 mph | N 6 mph | NNW 5 to 9 mph | NNE 1 to 6 mph | N 2 mph | NNE 1 to 5 mph | NNE 2 mph | NE 2 mph | SSE 2 mph | NE 0 to 3 mph | S 3 mph |
| Gusts | 24 mph | 17 mph | 25 mph | 12 mph | 10 mph | 14 mph | 9 mph | 7 mph | 8 mph | 6 mph | 5 mph | 6 mph | 7 mph | 5 mph |
| Precip % | 43% | 42% | 66% | 20% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 5% | 3% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (76/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Overnight hours (21:00 local). Sky is mostly cloudy (60% cloud cover). Working against it: Air temperature 40°F. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for boating (72/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 14% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for sailing (89/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 15 mph from the N is in the preferred sailing range. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Fair for kayaking (69/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: No active official alerts for this lake. 14% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Air temperature 40°F. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of ID Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Surrounded by ID's distinct outdoor landscape, Payette Lake is an active freshwater lake catering to fishermen, pleasure boaters, and nature observers. Its diverse depths and shoreline contours create productive fishing structure across all seasons. Review current launch fees and facility operating schedules before traveling.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is required for anglers age 14+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Mandatory Clean, Drain & Dry inspection. Out-of-area craft require on-site Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS Quagga/Zebra) inspection or decontamination before launch. USCG life jackets required for all.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Mackinaw (Lake Trout). Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
High-altitude mountain winter climate (elevation 4,990 ft MSL). Freezing temperatures, potential snowpack or ice cover, and reduced seasonal amenities. Winter safety caution advised.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Payette Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 10, 9:55 PM MDT