Little Camas Reservoir sits on the western edge of the Camas Prairie in Elmore County, Idaho, at roughly 4,900 feet on open sagebrush benchland between Mountain Home and Fairfield. It is an irrigation reservoir formed by Little Camas Dam, an earthfill dam 44 feet high that impounds Little Camas Creek. The dam opened in 1912 and is owned and operated by the Mountain Home Irrigation District; it produces no power. At full pool the reservoir covers about 966 acres and holds around 18,800 acre-feet. Most of the shoreline is Boise National Forest land, with some state and private ground mixed in, so watch for private property postings.

The main public access is on the west shore near the dam, where the Forest Service maintains the Little Camas Boat Ramp. It is a concrete ramp with a vault toilet and parking for about 40 vehicles. There is no drinking water and there are no picnic tables, so bring what you need. No fee is charged. The Forest Service lists the site as open from late May through the end of September unless snow closes it, and questions go to the Mountain Home Ranger District. Idaho Fish and Game lists it as one of its fishing and boating access sites and notes no motor restriction.

Camping is primitive and dispersed. Sites are scattered along the west and north shores, most with a rock fire ring and little else, and a second vault toilet sits partway down the west shore. There is essentially no shade on this open prairie. Horses and pack animals are allowed. The payoff is quiet: long views across the water to the snow-capped peaks of the Soldier Mountains and the high country to the east, and good bird-watching, especially for shorebirds at the shallow end near the highway.

Fishing is the reason most people come. Idaho Fish and Game has historically stocked triploid rainbow trout here and lists smallmouth bass as well, and in good water years the reservoir can offer good trout fishing with a lot of solitude. Anglers fish from shore, from small boats, and from float tubes. It has also appeared in Fish and Game's winter ice fishing roundups. A valid Idaho fishing license is required, and the current Idaho fishing rules booklet has the limits.

Water level is the big variable. Because this is an irrigation reservoir, it is drawn down every summer, and in dry years it can drop to a small pool or go nearly dry. The Forest Service warns that the ramp may be on dry land and there may not be enough water for a motorboat. In 2018 Fish and Game opened a salvage fishery here, lifting bag and size limits so anglers could keep fish before the water ran out. On March 23, 2026, Fish and Game announced it would not stock trout at Little Camas or nearby Mormon Reservoir during the 2026 season because below-average snowpack left both too low for stocking, and those fish were sent to other Magic Valley waters. Expect thin fishing in 2026 and check with the Magic Valley Regional Office at 208-324-4359 before making a trip for trout.

Warm, shallow water here has also grown cyanobacteria. Central District Health issued blue-green algae health advisories for the reservoir in July 2017 and again in August 2019. If the water looks like paint, scum or green foam, keep people and dogs out of it. This is a fishing and camping spot, and swimming is not really part of the picture. Kayaks, canoes and other non-motorized boats are welcome, and early summer is the best time to paddle since the reservoir is at its fullest then.

To get there from Mountain Home, take Interstate 84 exit 95 and drive about 23 miles east on US Highway 20. From Fairfield, drive about 33.5 miles west on US 20. Turn north near milepost 118.5 onto Camas Reservoir Road, which is signed for Little Camas Reservoir, and follow the gravel road about 2 miles to the dam and boat ramp. Mountain Home is the closest town with fuel, groceries and lodging.