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5,000-acre reservoir near Dillon. The lake tops out around 91 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 5,511 acres, worked by 14 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.3), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Roughly 26% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 4.4 mi with a 3.7-mi widest point. It sits in Beaverhead County. Kelly Reservioir sits 25 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.
When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 21 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (21 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (20 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Spring puts lake whitefish in skinny water — 15 to 45 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 40 to 90 ft, wintering in 25 to 70 ft. Summer lake whitefish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 90 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. 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 | Break off the point (21 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Deep basin (90 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (21 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (25 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Early season burbot use the shallows, holding in 25 to 70 ft. Expect a summer slide to 27 to 91 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 60 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 90 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and midday. Tie on a heavy jig + cut bait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Sharp break (25 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 27 to 91 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (90 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (90 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (21 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Come spring, look for common carp tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 30 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (90 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 25 to 60 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Sharp break, a drop-off in the 25 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Sharp break (25 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (21 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 21 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in 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 | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (21 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (21 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (21 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The chart marks 11 structure features on Clark Canyon Reservoir; the deepest is Deep basin at about 90 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Montana waters are set by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Clark Canyon Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Clark Canyon Reservoir is about 91 ft (28 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 brook trout, lake whitefish, burbot, common carp, brown trout, rainbow trout on Clark Canyon Reservoir.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 90 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For brook trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Clark Canyon Reservoir is regulated by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Check the official Montana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Kelly Reservioir 25 mi · Beaverhead River 26 mi · Morrison Lake 27 mi · Minneopa Lake 29 mi · Reservoir Lake 30 mi · Deerhead Lake 32 mi · Sawtooth Lake 33 mi · Van Houten Lake 35 mi · Lake Agnes 38 mi · Rainbow Lake (Beaverhead) 38 mi · Tendoy Lake 38 mi · Brownes Lake 39 mi
See how Clark Canyon Reservoir stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best common carp lakes in Montana · best brown trout lakes in Montana · best brook trout lakes in Montana
More water nearby: Beaverhead County fishing maps (24 charts). Browse all Montana 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.