Experience Redfish Lake boat rentals, jet skis, water spots, and watercraft tours at this alpine lake in central Idaho located in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, at the base of the Sawtooth Mountains in Custer County. It is named for the brilliant sockeye salmon that once returned from the Pacific Ocean in such massive quantities that the lake shimmered red during spawning season. The north end of Redfish Lake hosts many developed recreation opportunities including; water skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, wakesurfing, paddleboarding and the Redfish Lake Lodge and Forest Service campgrounds, boat launch, day-use areas with a visitor center.
Redfish Lake Resort, Marina and lodging is about a mile upstream of the smaller but equally picturesque Little Redfish Lake. The easiest way to reach the highest peak in the Sawtooths, Thompson Peak, is from the Redfish Lake Trailhead. The lake is 4.5 miles long and 0.72 miles wide, with a maximum depth of 387 feet. Redfish Lake is approximately five miles south of Stanley, ID and a paved access road from State Highway 75 delivers motorists to the visitor area at the north shore of the lake.