Fish Lake

Airport Identifier:

S92

Elevation:

5646

Latitude:

46.3301953

Longitude:

-115.0631742

Fish Lake Airstrip is located high in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area next to the lake. Its' turf surface can be soggy until July. The runway has fallen into disrepair in recent years with wallows and an uneven surface developing. The Forest Service is making patchwork repairs, but realizes it eventually will have to find funds for a major overhaul. Moose frequent the lake as well as the airstrip. Small cutthroat trout are plentiful and easy to catch. There are wilderness camp sites at the east end of the airstrip and a small Forest Service guard station at the west end.  No winter maintenance. Recommended use by mountain proficient pilots.  Do not taxi past cone markers at the end of 05.  Attempting to depart RWY 05 with tailwind is very hazardous. 

Airstrip Features:

Camping

Windsock

Segmented Circle

Classification:

Wild Classification

Airstrips may have basic navigation aids such as windsock and runway markers and no user facilities. Typically located in the remotest settings away from roads and communities.

Primary Runway:

5/23

Length:

2650

Type:

Turf

Stuck 'N Stay Emergency Accommodations

Member Name

Tom Richardson

  509-448-7350
  [email protected]
  Valleyford

Member Name

Michael Schwartz

  406-880-8094
  808-462-3831
  [email protected]
  Missoula

Member Name

Gary Ade

  208-772-7862
  208-651-6154
  [email protected]
  Hayden Lake
Missoula

Airstrip Manager:

NEZPERCE FOREST AIR OFFICER
208-983-9677

District:

#7 McCall/Central

District Director:

Dave Irvin
(208) 521-8908
[email protected]

Observation Date: July 1, 2023

Landed evening of 6/30, departed 7:30 am 7/1. Surface conditions are very good. Grass is 6-10" deep. Last 150 ft of West end is rough and uneven. Great time.

Observation Date: June 7, 2022

Flew into Fish Lake 6/7/2022 with helicopter. Airstrip is completely covered with probably two to three feet of hard snow. Surface is very rough, completely pockmarked with foot deep melted depressions in the snow. Standing water for 100 feet at approach end by lake and also mid-field in the snow on edges of runway area. It's very wet around the runway flat area. Both windsocks are in need of replacement. The NE end sock is torn, hanging from the frame and non-functional. The mid-field sock is torn but still somewhat functional. Lake is still 80% covered with rotten ice.

Observation Date: January 26, 2022

Flew into Fish Lake airstrip on 1/26/2022 with a helicopter. Looks to be about six to seven feet of snow in there. The snow is very soft and powdery with no crust. One ski-equipped fixed wing had been in there recently.

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