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Fishing Erratic Lake (Carbon): what the data says
22-acre lake near Montana. The lake tops out around 6 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Erratic Lake (Carbon)
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 6 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 1 to 6 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Erratic Lake (Carbon)
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Erratic Lake (Carbon)
Spring smallmouth bass on Erratic Lake (Carbon) hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 6 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 4 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Erratic Lake (Carbon)?
Erratic Lake (Carbon) is about 6 ft 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 Erratic Lake (Carbon)?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Erratic Lake (Carbon).
Where is the best fishing spot on Erratic Lake (Carbon)?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Erratic Lake (Carbon)?
For rainbow 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
Till Lake · Castle Lake · Green Lake (Carbon) · Lake Elaine (Carbon) · Estelle Lake (Carbon) · Big Butte Lake
See how Erratic Lake (Carbon) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch lakes in Montana
Browse all Montana fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.