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Fishing Bighorn Lake: what the data says
8,000-acre reservoir near Fort Smith. The lake tops out around 447 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Walleye fishing at Bighorn Lake
Spring walleye on Bighorn Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Sauger fishing at Bighorn Lake
Start shallow in spring: sauger sit in 4 to 18 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Bighorn Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Channel Catfish fishing at Bighorn Lake
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring channel catfish. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Crappie fishing at Bighorn Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 380 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 224 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 201 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 113.07641448417331 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 112 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 112 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 64.18370929583854 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 58.57264544982149 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 13 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 13 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 12.508678832062172 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 12.106414767217096 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 12 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 12 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bighorn Lake?
Bighorn Lake is about 447 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Bighorn Lake?
Anglers target walleye, sauger, crappie, channel catfish, rainbow trout on Bighorn Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bighorn Lake?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bighorn Lake?
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Yellowtail Afterbay Reservoir · Bighorn River · Lake Josephine · Joels Pond · Lake Elmo · Laurel Pond
See how Bighorn Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Montana · best sauger lakes in Montana · best crappie lakes in Montana · best channel catfish lakes in Montana
Browse all Montana fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.