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Fishing Jackson Lake: what the data says
25,730-acre reservoir near Jackson Region. The lake tops out around 438 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Lake Trout fishing at Jackson Lake
In spring, lake trout run shallow here, mostly 10 to 40 ft. They move out to 50 to 120 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 10.157955792831814 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Jackson Lake
In spring, cutthroat trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 10.157955792831814 ft, rated prime for fall cutthroat trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Brown Trout fishing at Jackson Lake
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Deep break, a drop-off in about 43 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Jackson Lake
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. They move out to 40 to 90 ft in summer and finish the year down in 25 to 70 ft. Rock reef is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 10.157955792831814 ft, rated prime for fall lake whitefish. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 372 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 197 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 110 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 110 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 60.998027188130806 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 53.63360804792091 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 43.59299836666409 ft
- Deep break: drop-off, around 43 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 10.157955792831814 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 3.117450533528574 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Jackson Lake?
Jackson Lake is about 438 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Jackson Lake?
Anglers target lake trout, brown trout, lake whitefish, cutthroat trout on Jackson Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Jackson Lake?
Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 10.157955792831814 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Jackson Lake?
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Bearpaw Lake · Two Ocean Lake · Jenny Lake · Snake River (Jackson) · Holly Lake · Lake Solitude
See how Jackson Lake stacks up: best lake trout lakes in Wyoming · best brown trout lakes in Wyoming · best lake whitefish lakes in Wyoming · best cutthroat trout lakes in Wyoming
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