Deerhead Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MT)

Hatch outlook

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Oct 15 · until the hard frosts of mid-October; on the Missouri, August hoppers fish mid-river, not the banks

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Spruce MothActive window

Typical here: Jul 20 – Aug 31 · a conifer-forest event — it needs fir and lodgepole on the banks, so it's a Rock Creek / Blackfoot / upper Bitterroot specialty

adultmorning through midday — moths don't enter the water willingly — landings are sporadic and near the conifer banks; fish the imitation LOW in the film with minimal floatant, even fully drowned, with a little movement

When the moths show, just about every run produces — large trout key on them so hard that one pattern carries the whole box for two weeks.

Honest limit: a small drowned-surface moth has no lure analog. The workable rig is a casting bubble with a drowned moth pattern along the timbered banks in the morning; otherwise fish spinners early and late and leave the moth window to the film.

2–3 weeks at best, and day-to-day — fish key on the moths when they show and vanish with them

The event happens over banks under conifers — the moths rarely reach mid-river

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Deerhead Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Deerhead Lake on the board.

Fishing Deerhead Lake: what the data says

21-acre lake in Beaverhead County, Montana. The lake tops out around 15 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

The drawn outline gives you 0.8 miles of bank to pick apart. With a 1.5 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. The basin spans about 0.3 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. It sits in Beaverhead County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Minneopa Lake, is 4 mi to the southwest.

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Deerhead Lake

In spring, cutthroat trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 15 ft, and they winter in 4 to 15 ft. Summer cutthroat trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 10 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (10 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	4 to 15 ft	dawn	Break off the point (10 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Notable structure

3 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 14 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 14 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 10 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft

Deerhead Lake fishing regulations

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 Deerhead Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Deerhead Lake?

Deerhead Lake is about 15 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.

What fish are in Deerhead Lake?

Anglers target cutthroat trout on Deerhead Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Deerhead Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Deerhead 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Deerhead Lake?

Fishing on Deerhead Lake 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.

Nearby waters

Minneopa Lake 4 mi · Sawtooth Lake 6 mi · Rainbow Lake (Beaverhead) 6 mi · Tendoy Lake 6 mi · Lake Agnes 6 mi · Kelly Reservioir 8 mi · Brownes Lake 8 mi · Bear Lake (Beaverhead) 17 mi · Beaverhead River 19 mi · Baldy Lake 21 mi · Sand Lake 22 mi · Lily Lake (Beaverhead) 24 mi

See how Deerhead Lake stacks up: best cutthroat 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.