Henrys Lake is a small, shallow

alpine lake Alpine lakes are classified as lakes at high altitudes in mountainous zones, usually near or above the tree line, with extended periods of ice cover. These lakes are commonly formed from glacial activity (either current or in the past) but can al ...

in the

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

, in

eastern Idaho Eastern Idaho is the area of Idaho lying east of the Magic Valley region. It is generally understood to include: Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Caribou, Clark, Custer, Franklin, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, Oneida, Power and ...

. Approximately in area, at in length and in width, its surface

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...

is above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. It is on the southwest side of the Henrys Lake Mountains of northern Fremont County, approximately two miles south of the

continental divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...

along the

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

state line, just west of

Targhee Pass Targhee Pass is a mountain pass in the western United States on the Continental Divide. It is located along the border between southeastern Idaho and southwestern Montana, in the Henrys Lake Mountains at an elevation of above sea level. The ...

and north of

Sawtell Peak Sawtell Peak, also spelled Sawtelle Peak is a mountain in the U.S. state of Idaho. It is located in the eastern portion of the Centennial Mountains. Sawtell Peak is located in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest roughly east of Idaho's border wi ...

. The lake provides the headwaters of the Henrys Fork, a tributary of the

Snake River The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...

. The lake lies less than across the continental divide from the headwaters of the Missouri River in southwestern

. It is due west of the western boundary of

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...

, located in an

enclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

of Caribou-Targhee National Forest. A dam built at the outlet of Henrys Lake in 1923 dramatically increased the surface area of the lake. Springs are found around the shoreline at Staley Springs, Pintail Point, Kelly Springs, the Cliffs, and along the northshore of the lake. Inlets are found at Timber Creek, Targhee Creek, Howard Creek, Duck Creek, Hope Creek, and Kenny Creek.

History

The area surrounding Henrys Lake has been inhabited by Native Americans for centuries. It was later seen by and named after Andrew Henry. During the

Nez Perce War The Nez Perce War was an armed conflict in 1877 in the Western United States that pitted several bands of the Nez Perce tribe of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native Americans and their allies, a small band of the ''Palus people, Palo ...

and following the

Battle of Camas Creek The Battle of Camas Creek, August 20, 1877, was a raid by the Nez Perce people on a United States Army encampment in Idaho Territory and a subsequent battle during the Nez Perce War. The Nez Perce defeated three companies of U.S. cavalry and conti ...

near what is now

Kilgore Kilgore may refer to: Fictional characters * Kilgore Trout, a recurring character in the novels of Kurt Vonnegut * Lt. Colonel Bill Kilgore, a character in the Francis Ford Coppola movie ''Apocalypse Now'' * Teddybear Kilgore (AKA Kilgour), a cha ...

, the Nez Perce tribe proceeded eastward toward Yellowstone. After receiving word that the Nez Perce had entered the wilderness area, General Oliver O. Howard rested for several days on the side of the lake. To this point, Howards troops had marched every day for 26 days at an unusually quick pace. Following the Russian invasion of Finland in 1939, the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

began construction of a training outpost to be called the West Yellowstone Winter Training Camp near Henrys Lake Station. Plans were created that included a 100,000 acre training area that could hold 30,000 personnel. Some buildings were constructed in 1941, but were ordered destroyed in 1942. At the time, the military offered no reasoning for the reversal of the plan. It was later discovered by an Ashton resident that the military did not want to interfere with trumpeter swans which used the lake as a breeding ground. The winter training program was relocated to

Fort Drum Fort Drum is a U.S. Army military reservation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, on the northern border of New York, United States. The population of the CDP portion of the base was 12,955 at the 2010 census. It is home t ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Wildlife

Henrys Lake is home to a variety of migrating birds. The western and eastern edges of the lake provide wetland/marsh habitats that serve as breeding areas for many birds in spring. Notable at Henrys Lake are white pelicans, widgeon, lesser scaup, cormorants, red-necked and western grebes, coots, mallards, bufflehead, ring-necked ducks, Canada geese, blue-winged teal, eared grebe, killdeer, common merganser, common tern, cinnamon teal, trumpeter swans, great blue heron, California seagulls, bald eagles, Swainson's hawks, red-tailed hawks, red-winged blackbirds, cowbirds and more.

Recreation

Henrys Lake is a popular destination for sport fishing. The most common species in the lake is Yellowstone cutthroat. They make up 55 percent of the trout population. The average size in 2015 was 15 inches, with biologists finding some fish over 20 inches. The second most prevalent species is rainbow-cutthroat hybrids, which make up 24 percent of the population. The average size is 19 inches, although Idaho Fish and Game found hybrids longer than 25 inches. Brook trout make up 21 percent of the population. The average length is 16 inches, with biologists finding several brook trout that exceeded 20 inches in length. There is a fish hatchery on the north side of the lake that helps to replenish the lake. ; Recreational access On the south shore on the lake,

Henrys Lake State Park Henrys Lake State Park is a public recreation area located on the south shore on Henrys Lake north of Island Park in Fremont County, Idaho, U.S. The state park occupies off US 20 near Goose Bay and the Henrys Lake Outlet. Park facilities incl ...

is a 585-acre state park off of

US 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...

near Goose Bay and the Henrys Lake Outlet with hiking trails, camping facilities and boat ramp. Frome Park on the west shore of Henrys Lake is owned and operated by Fremont County. The park's limited facilities include a boat ramp and campsites, both of which are free. The South Shore Boat Access offers a boat ramp, primitive camping, fishing, and platform for wildlife viewing. The

Continental Divide Trail The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (in short Continental Divide Trail (CDT)) is a United States National Scenic Trail with a length measured by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition of between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico a ...

skirts around Henry's Lake. Many north bound thru hikers opt out of this section when leaving Yellowstone National Park and entering the Centennial Mountain Range in Idaho.

References

External links

Henrys Lake
Idaho Department of Fish and Game {{authority control Lakes of Fremont County, Idaho Lakes of Idaho