Redfish Lake, Idaho: Sawtooth Valley Diving

By Linda Lee Walden Photo by Lynn Laymon

"A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remainC9"

These words come from the Wilderness Act of 1964, which established a category of U.S. Federal lands that would forever remain free of development and encroachment by man. They reflect a sentiment that should rightfully be applied to many of the pristine dive destinations around the world.

Nowhere is the meaning of wilderness more evident than in the area around Redfish Lake, Idaho. Near the south-central Idaho town of Stanley in the scenic Sawtooth Valley, the southwestern end of Redfish Lake borders the 217,000-acre (86,800-hectare) Sawtooth Wilderness. Named for the line of jagged, toothlike peaks that it encompasses, the wilderness area claims more than 50 major summits over 10,000 feet (3,030 m).

As you would expect for one of the most majestic alpine settings in the United States, the Sawtooth Valley is known for outdoor activities. The Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) covers 756,000 acres (302,400 hectares) to the east and north of the wilderness area. Summer activities include hiking, whitewater rafting, fishing, camping, mountain biking and climbing. In the winter, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and skiing dominate. A short distance south of the SNRA lies Ketchum, the gateway to trendy Sun Valley ski area.

Regardless of its scenic appeal, a glacier-fed mountain lake at an altitude of 6,547 feet (1,984 m) would not seem to be an ideal setting for a popular regional dive destination. Yet each summer Redfish Lake attracts a healthy cadre of recreational divers and open-water students from all over southern Idaho , Boise, Twin Falls, Pocatello and Idaho Falls , as well as from neighboring Oregon, Nevada, Montana and Utah.

"We go there for the facilities and the water clarity," says Larry Hill of Dive Magic in Twin Falls. "During the summer months, visibility ranges from 40 to 80 feet (12 to 24 m); it's the clearest lake around."

Access to Redfish Lake is via the Sawtooth Scenic Byway, Idaho State Highway 75. Nestled within a vast forest of lodgepole and ponderosa pine, several campgrounds and the seasonal Redfish Lake Lodge cluster around the northern end of the lake. Diving is permitted anywhere, however, a boat is required for access beyond this end of the 1,500-acre (600-hectare) lake.

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 1950s, 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. By 1991, however, those numbers had diminished to a measly 16.

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 and chinook salmon, also endangered. Divers occasionally sight these graceful but shy creatures. Bull and steelhead trout can also be spotted in the lake, as well as suckerfish.

The most popular site for scuba training is Schoolhouse Rock. Divers stage in Point campground near the lodge. Here the easy water access and proximity to facilities help put students at ease. The Rock is a 14-foot- (4-m-) in-diameter underwater boulder that rises from the bottom at 20 feet (6 m) to within several feet of the surface. The gravel-over-clay substrate forms a good platform for conducting skill evaluations without ruining visibility.

Dive Magic scuba center has constructed a navigation course and buoyancy diamond at the beach-entry site, which is used by several area scuba centers. A 20-foot (6-m) boat with a small cabin, discovered in another part of the lake, was towed to Schoolhouse Rock and placed in 60 feet (18 m) of water as an additional attraction for divers.

To reach dive sites beyond the northern end of the lake, divers can take the Redfish Lake Lodge boat shuttle, which transfers backpackers to a wilderness area trailhead near the opposite end of the lake. Divers board the shuttle at the marina and disembark at the far end to dive from the shore adjacent to the dock. Following the dive they return to the dock and catch the next shuttle back to the lodge.

Dive centers typically trailer in their own inflatable boats to reach the best dive sites. At the southern end of Redfish Lake is a site simply known as the "Wall." While not completely vertical, underwater the shoreline drops off steeply in a series of ledges to more than 100 feet (30 m). This stair-step wall is convenient for advanced training and staged decompression on technical dives.

Avalanche, or the Dead Fall dive, was created when a mountain slide sent rocks, debris and trees hurdling down the slope and into the lake to a depth of 80 feet (24 m). Hundreds of uprooted trees form a tangled maze of branches, roots and trunks for divers to negotiate. The rare bull trout is sometimes spotted skulking amidst the destroyed underwater forest.

Redfish Lake has long been a summer vacation destination as well as a gateway to the Sawtooth Wilderness Area. Bottles and other castoffs from the early 1900s can occasionally be found underwater.

As with all mountain lakes, scuba divers at Redfish must account for the high altitude when planning their bottom time. For instance, at an elevation of 6,600 feet (2,000 m), an actual depth of 50 feet (15 m) equals about 65 feet (20 m) at sea level. An 80-foot (24-m) dive equates to nearly 100 feet (30 m). Dive computers that automatically adjust for altitude are recommended as a safety device.

Fed primarily by snowmelt and glacial runoff, Redfish Lake remains cold throughout the year. The surface temperature may hit 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius) in July, but at the first thermocline, around 30 feet (9 m), the water temperature drops 10 degrees. At a depth of 75 feet (23 m), the water remains between 37 F and 40 F (3 C and 4 C) year-round.

Diving season is short at this altitude; the lake may not thaw completely until late May and snow showers are possible into June. In summer months air temperatures range from an average high of 72 F (22 C) to an average low of 36 F (2 C). Dry suits are highly recommended, but hardy divers can still enjoy the lake's chilly waters in thick wet suits.

Overnight accommodations and restaurants are available on site and in nearby Stanley. Open from Memorial Day weekend to late September, the Redfish Lake Lodge features choices from basic motel rooms to comfy cabins. Surrounding the northern lakeshore are five campground areas with large, level sites and modern restroom facilities.

Amenities at Redfish Lake include boat launching ramps, picnic areas, public showers and a gas station. The general store sells groceries, apparel and souvenirs. Scuba cylinders must be rented at a regional dive center before departing for the Sawtooth Valley. Some dive centers visit the lake two to three weekends a month and often bring a portable compressor with them.

During surface intervals, divers can hike, horseback ride or rent a variety of watercraft from the marina. A guided boat tour of the lake departs three times a day.

Wildlife is plentiful. Divers spy bald eagles, goshawk, lynx, wolverine, as well as the endangered gray wolf and peregrine falcon.

The nearest hospital to Redfish Lake is in Sun Valley, but there is a clinic in Stanley. Cellphone signals do not reach the lake, but phones are available at the north end of the lake. Visiting dive centers are usually equipped with first-aid kits and emergency oxygen. Divers should be alert for signs of altitude sickness, dehydration and hypothermia.