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Fishing Cottonwood Lake: what the data says
27-acre reservoir near Jackson Region. The lake tops out around 60 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.
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Cottonwood Lake
Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Brook Trout fishing at Cottonwood Lake
In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 27 ft, rated prime for summer brook trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 51 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 27 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 15 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Cottonwood Lake?
Cottonwood Lake is about 60 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 Cottonwood Lake?
Anglers target brook trout, cutthroat trout on Cottonwood Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Cottonwood Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Cottonwood Lake?
For cutthroat 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.
Nearby waters
Corral Creek Lake 2 · Crow Creek Lake 1 · Barstow Lake · Alice Lake · Murphy Lake, Lower · Stump Lake
See how Cottonwood Lake stacks up: best brook trout lakes in Wyoming · best cutthroat trout lakes in Wyoming
Browse all Wyoming fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.