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39-acre reservoir in Richland County, Montana. The lake tops out around 18 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 is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Traced from the shoreline, Gartside Reservoir runs 33 acres with 1.3 miles of edge. Index 1.6 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. 84% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 0.5 mi, about 0.2 mi across. The water lies in Richland County. The nearest mapped water is Sather Dam, 23 mi to the east.
Spring walleye on Gartside Reservoir hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 5 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for fall northern pike. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Secondary point (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 18 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Fall largemouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 4 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 18 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 18 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 18 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 18 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 18 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 18 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Gartside Reservoir also holds pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (5 to 18 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), muskellunge (5 to 18 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Gartside Reservoir carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 18 ft down.
Access data: Montana FWP — Fishing Access Sites. 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 Gartside Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Gartside Reservoir is about 18 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.
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, common carp, yellow perch, crappie, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, bluegill, muskellunge on Gartside Reservoir.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Gartside 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.
Sather Dam 23 mi, ND · Trenton Lake 39 mi, ND · Odland Dam 40 mi, ND · Camels Hump Lake 49 mi, ND · Epping-Springbrook Dam 61 mi, ND · Blacktail Dam 64 mi, ND · McLeod (Ray) Reservoir 73 mi, ND · Lake Ilo 77 mi, ND · Cottonwood Lake 80 mi, ND · Dickinson Reservoir (Patterson Lake) 83 mi, ND · Tioga Dam 84 mi, ND · Boxelder Lake 84 mi
See how Gartside Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best walleye lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana
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.