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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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Hart Lake
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 2 to 9 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 9 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 9 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Crappie fishing at Hart Lake
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 3 to 9 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 9 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 9 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Hart Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Shoreline point is the standout, a point at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 9 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 9 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Hart Lake?
Hart Lake is about 9 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 Hart Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, crappie, rainbow trout on Hart Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Hart Lake?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated 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.
Nearby waters
Gerber Reservoir · Agency Lake · Strawberry Lake · Miller Lake · Beulah Reservoir · Crater Lake
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 every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.