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71,000-acre lake near Garden City. The lake tops out around 197 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 66,842 acres wrapped in 49.7 miles of bank. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 3% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 19.1 mi with a 7.4-mi widest point. Rich County claims this one. If the bite dies, Lamont Reservoir is 26 mi to the west.
Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Summer is a 50 to 120 ft game here, winter a 20 to 80 ft one. The chart's best answer is Offshore hump — offshore hump, 23 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Break off the point (115 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (23 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (23 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (17 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Spring puts lake whitefish in skinny water — 15 to 45 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 40 to 90 ft; cold water stacks them in 25 to 70 ft. Offshore hump is the standout, an offshore hump at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for winter lake whitefish. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (23 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (54 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Offshore hump (23 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (26 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Spring puts cisco (lake herring) in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 40 to 80 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 60 ft. Offshore hump is the standout, an offshore hump at roughly 23 ft, rated prime for winter cisco (lake herring). Plan around early morning in the warm months. A vertical flutter spoon (small) or a drop-shot micro plastic covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (23 ft) | Small silver spoon, Tiny swim jig (white) |
| Summer | 40 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (197 ft) | Vertical flutter spoon (small), Drop-shot micro plastic |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (23 ft) | Small casting spoon, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | dawn | Offshore hump (23 ft) | Small jigging spoon (glow/silver), Tungsten jig + minnow head |
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Secondary point: a point around 18 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (18 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (115 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
20 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 197 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Utah DNR — Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 5 | Cutthroat trout | 18,896 | ~7.8" |
| May 5 | Cutthroat trout | 4,326 | ~7.4" |
| May 5 | Cutthroat trout | 13,335 | ~7.8" |
| May 4 | Cutthroat trout | 17,873 | ~7.8" |
| May 4 | Cutthroat trout | 19,478 | ~7.6" |
| Apr 28 | Cutthroat trout | 8,926 | ~7.8" |
| Nov 12, 2025 | Lake Trout | 21,189 | ~5.6" |
Source: Utah DWR fish-stocking report, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Utah waters are set by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — and special regulations can apply to Bear Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Utah fishing regulations →
Bear Lake is about 197 ft (60 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target lake trout, cutthroat trout, lake whitefish, cisco (lake herring), rainbow trout on Bear Lake.
Offshore hump is the top-rated area: an offshore hump in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per Utah DWR fish-stocking report records, Bear Lake was most recently stocked May 5 with 18,896 cutthroat trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Bear Lake is regulated by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Check the official Utah regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lamont Reservoir 26 mi, ID · Foster Reservoir 28 mi, ID · Oneida Narrows Reservoir 29 mi, ID · Treasureton Reservoir 32 mi, ID · Birch Creek Reservoir 33 mi, UT · Newton Reservoir 34 mi, UT · Viva Naughton Reservoir 34 mi, WY · Hyrum Reservoir 37 mi, UT · Porcupine Reservoir 38 mi, UT · Alice Lake 43 mi, WY · Mantua Reservoir 45 mi, UT · Causey Reservoir 49 mi, UT
See how Bear Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Utah · best lake trout lakes in Utah · best lake whitefish lakes in Utah · best cutthroat trout lakes in Utah
Browse all Utah fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.