U.S. Forest Service · Sawtooth National Forest · Idaho

Redfish Lake Recreation Complex

Redfish Lake is at the headwaters of the Salmon River, whose waters flow north to meet the Snake River and continue to the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. As late as the 1950's, more than 4,000 sockeye salmon made the annual 900-mile (1,440-km) pilgrimage from the ocean to their spawning grounds in the Sawtooth Valley. However, in recent years only between 2-20 have returned each year. In an effort to save the endangered fish, whose bright red color gave Redfish Lake its name, the National Marine Fisheries Service established a local hatchery. Since 1999, the lake has been stocked with sockeye salmon. Bull trout, steelhead and Chinook salmon can also be spotted in the area.

Open nowTakes reservationsTents only

More like this: reservable in Idaho · tent only in Idaho

Redfish Lake Recreation Complex
Photo from the area. J. Crane (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
4fires
active
Rx Lowman Wui (prescribed burn) · 26 mi away · 63 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesSawtooth NRA Camping Fees and Information

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestSawtooth National Forest
BookingSites that accept reservations include: Sunny Gulch campsite, Glacier View, Outlet, Point, Sunny Gulch Pavillion picnic area and North Shore Picnic Area.
FeesSawtooth NRA Camping Fees and Information
RulesKeep all pets on a leash. Camping stay limits: All occupancy (includes developed/dispersed camping, boats, boat trailers, travel trailers, tents, etc): Occupancy limit is 10 days in a 30 day period within a 30 mile radius for all of SNRA. Motorized vehicles and bicycles are not allowed in any of the designated wilderness areas.

Sawtooth National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Redfish Lake Recreation Complex10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.74 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.32 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.20 inches of precipitationApril: 1.69 inches of precipitationMay: 1.49 inches of precipitationJune: 1.60 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.63 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.48 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.01 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.59 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.19 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.92 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 16.9°F averageFebruary: 21.0°F averageMarch: 28.3°F averageApril: 34.8°F averageMay: 45.0°F averageJune: 51.6°F averageJuly: 59.3°F averageAugust: 58.4°F averageSeptember: 50.3°F averageOctober: 39.7°F averageNovember: 26.4°F averageDecember: 16.8°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Stanley RS, 4 miles from the campground at 6,495 feet, station USW00004112 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates44.1196° N, 114.9293° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Lowman Wui

    26 mi from the campground · 63 acres

  • Prescribed
    Paradise Rx

    28 mi from the campground · 400 acres

  • Wildfire
    East Fork

    31 mi from the campground · 266 acres · 5% contained

  • Prescribed
    Rx Mores South

    45 mi from the campground · 245 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.7 mi
    Bench Lakes
    0.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1 mi
    Redfish Ridge
    3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 1.1 mi
    Grand Mogul ↗
    7.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.4 mi
    Redfish Lake
    3.1 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 1.8 mi
    Orion
    0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.8 mi
    Fishhook Nature Trail
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Sawtooth National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Idaho

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Redfish Lake Recreation Complex?

Sites at Redfish Lake Recreation Complex take reservations. Sites that accept reservations include: Sunny Gulch campsite, Glacier View, Outlet, Point, Sunny Gulch Pavillion picnic area and North Shore Picnic Area. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Redfish Lake Recreation Complex?

Sawtooth NRA Camping Fees and Information

Source: Forest Service

Is Redfish Lake Recreation Complex open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Redfish Lake Recreation Complex?

Redfish Lake Recreation Complex is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Redfish Lake Recreation Complex is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Sockeye Campground (1 mi, first-come), Point Campground (1.1 mi), and Mount Heyburn Campground (1.3 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby