Description

This runway is located in Idaho's Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and features access to hunting, camping, and fishing.

There can be a significant downdraft over the lake when departing runway 4, even early in the morning. Special consideration should be given to density altitude, aircraft weight, and wind.

Camping:
Campsites are located at the east end of the runway, near the lake.

Hiking

There are several nice day hikes out of Fish Lake. The trail heading northwest out of the airstrip from near the guard station goes up the mountain side for about 3 miles to a saddle in the mountains southwest of the airstrip. There are some good views of the airstrip and terrain to the northeast from the saddle (see photo). There is a trail intersection in the saddle. If you follow the trail to the extreme right (north) for about 3 miles, there are some great panoramic views of mountains and lakes (my favorite hike). If you follow the trail to the left (south) at the saddle intersection for about 3 miles, there are also some panoramic views of mountains and lakes. There is another trail coming off the airstrip from the camping area near mid-field that heads southeast across a meadow and then up the mountain side. It levels out in a high meadow at about 2 miles where there is a trail intersection that is hard to find. A pole in the meadow about 100' to the left of the tail marks where the intersecting trail generally goes (northeast), but is hard to see. If you can find the intersecting trail, it goes up to some good views about 1 mile further. The main trail heading northeast off the departure end of runway 4 skirts the north side of the lake and has a nice view of the runway looking across the lake from the lake's lower end. This trail continues in a generally northeast direction through woods and old burn areas and skirts a meadow at about 2 miles and begins to follow a creek at about 3 miles.