Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) 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 Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)

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Fishing Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln): what the data says

199-acre lake in Lincoln County, Montana. The lake tops out around 130 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) maps at 199 acres behind 2.4 miles of shoreline. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 15% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 1 mi end to end and 0.5 mi across at its widest. It sits in Lincoln County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Leon Lake, is 0 mi to the west.

Walleye fishing at Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)

Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 18 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Secondary point (7 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Northern Pike fishing at Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)

Spring northern pike on Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a feeding flat near 9 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (9 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (9 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (9 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)

Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (9 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Back-bay flat (21 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (129 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Back-bay flat (21 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)

Spring smallmouth bass on Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 18 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (7 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (46 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)

Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 18 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (46 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Lake Trout fishing at Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)

Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 50 to 120 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 80 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 129 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	dawn	Deep basin (129 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (18 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Break off the point (46 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 129 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 129 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 46 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 21 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 18 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 9 ft
Secondary point: point, around 7 ft

Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) 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 Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)?

Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) is about 130 ft (40 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 Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)?

Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, lake trout, crappie, channel catfish on Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln). This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.

Where is the best fishing spot on Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)?

Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln)?

Fishing on Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) 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

Leon Lake 0 mi · Crystal Lake (Lincoln) 1 mi · Little Loon Lake 1 mi · Thompson Lake, Upper 3 mi · Thompson Lake, Middle 5 mi · Thompson Lake, Lower 7 mi · Island Lake 15 mi · Mcgregor Lake 15 mi · Little Bitterroot Lake 21 mi · Hubbart Reservoir 22 mi · Sylvia Lake 24 mi · Rogers Lake 26 mi

See how Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best walleye lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana · best crappie lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Lincoln County fishing maps (28 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.