Hart Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (OR)

Hatch outlook

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun)Active window

Typical here: Aug 15 – Sep 15 · the smaller fall brood

nymphthe hours before the midday emergence — nymphs rise off the weed tops in a vertical zigzag that can take hours — sources split between slow 2–4 inch strips with long pauses and a quicker steady retrieve; carry both speeds
dunmidday, roughly 11am into early afternoon
spinnermid-to-late-morning falls

Trout browse the weed-bed edges knocking nymphs loose, then cruise the flats sipping duns at midday — the marquee western lake mayfly.

The midday emergence puts cruisers over weed flats in under 20 ft: a casting bubble with a #14 Callibaetis nymph retrieved dead-slow with pauses is the honest match. Between hatch hours, small spoons and #1 inline spinners along the weed edges and drop-offs pick off the same fish.

The event happens over weed flats and weed-bed edges in 20 ft of water or less

Chironomids (stillwater midges)Active window

Typical here: May 1 – Oct 31

nymphearly morning, start of the day — fish the bloodworm ON the bottom — 4–6 inches off the mud before the emergence starts
pupathe cool morning hours are prime — as the emergence builds, slide the pupa up to 12–15 inches off bottom under the indicator; a little wind chop does the jigging

Concentrates by DEPTH BAND and mud type, not a fixed spot: roughly 20–25 ft in spring, deeper midsummer, in against the feeder creeks in summer heat, 5–25 ft in fall. Match the band.

This one translates almost perfectly: a slip float with a 1/64–1/100 oz midge-pattern jig set 4–15 inches off bottom over a mud flat, dead-sticked with the chop doing the work. Depth control is everything — no moving lure imitates a hanging pupa; the float rig IS the technique.

The event happens over open mud flats alongside weedlines, channels and basin edges; feeder-creek mouths in summer heat

Water boatman fall flightsActive window

Typical here: Aug 25 – Oct 10 · peaks on crisp, bright fall days after the first cold snap

adultmiddday-ish on calm, sunny fall days — the fishable moment is the splashdown: boatmen dive in headfirst trailing an air bubble and make repeated trips back to the surface — a fly or lure that dives nose-first on the drop imitates exactly this

Takes are seldom subtle — trout ravage boatmen as they hit the water and during their subsurface runs.

Tailor-made for hardware: a small 1/16 oz silver-bellied spoon or jig cast AT the rings of a splashdown sinks headfirst exactly like the natural — twitch-pause it back through the top few feet. On flight days fan-cast the shallow weed margins.

The event happens over near-shore shallows, weed beds and shoal margins on calm sunny fall afternoons

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jun 15 – Sep 30

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

Next on this water

Damselfly migration · forageMay 15 – Jul 31 · in ~9 months

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.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Hart 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 Hart Lake on the board.

Fishing Hart Lake: what the data says

7,291-acre lake near Plush. The lake tops out around 9 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.

Traced from the shoreline, Hart Lake runs 7,232 acres with 25.5 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 2.1) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Tip to tip the water measures near 6.6 mi with a 2.8-mi widest point. The water lies in Lake County. For a second option, Catnip Reservoir lies 39 mi southeast.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Hart Lake

In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 9 ft, and they winter in 2 to 9 ft. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 9 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (2 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	2 to 9 ft	dawn & dusk	Creek inflow (2 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	3 to 9 ft	dawn & dusk	Gravel shoal (2 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	2 to 9 ft	dawn	Break off the point (6 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Crappie fishing at Hart Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 9 ft, wintering in 3 to 9 ft. Top water on the chart: Old creek channel, a creek channel in the 9 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Weed flat (2 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	3 to 9 ft	dawn & dusk	Old creek channel (9 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	3 to 9 ft	dawn	Old creek channel (9 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	3 to 9 ft	midday	Deep basin (9 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Hart Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 2 to 9 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 9 ft through summer, 3 to 9 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 6 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 9 ft	dawn & dusk	Gravel shoal (2 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	3 to 9 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (6 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	3 to 9 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (6 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	3 to 9 ft	midday	Break off the point (6 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Notable structure

12 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 9 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 9 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 9 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 1 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Hart Lake Landing — ramp

Access data: Oregon State Marine Board — Boating Access. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Hart Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Oregon waters are set by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Hart Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Oregon fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Hart Lake?

Hart Lake is about 9 ft (3 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 Hart Lake?

Anglers target rainbow trout, crappie, smallmouth bass on Hart Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Hart Lake?

Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Hart Lake?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Hart Lake?

Fishing on Hart Lake is regulated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Check the official Oregon regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Catnip Reservoir 39 mi, NV · Gerber Reservoir 65 mi · Fish Lake 66 mi · Onion Valley Reservoir 75 mi, NV · Mann Lake 76 mi · Wall Canyon Reservoir 85 mi, NV · Agency Lake 108 mi · Squaw Valley Reservoir 110 mi, NV · Crater Lake 120 mi · Lake of the Woods 121 mi · Miller Lake 121 mi · Fourmile Lake 123 mi

See how Hart Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Oregon · best crappie lakes in Oregon · best rainbow trout lakes in Oregon

Browse all Oregon 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.