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64-acre lake in Yellowstone County, Montana. The lake tops out around 16 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Elmo runs 62 acres with 1.3 miles of edge. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.1) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 0.4 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Yellowstone County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Josephine, 7 mi south of here.
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 4 to 16 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 4 to 16 ft covers summer, 3 to 16 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 4 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 16 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 16 ft before dropping to 5 to 16 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 15 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 16 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 16 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (15 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 16 ft | dusk | Deep basin (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) |
Spring cutthroat trout on Lake Elmo hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 16 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 16 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 14 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 3 to 16 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 4 to 16 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 16 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 16 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 16 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) |
Lake Elmo also holds yellow perch (5 to 16 ft in summer), brown trout (5 to 16 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), muskellunge (5 to 16 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 15 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. 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 Lake Elmo specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Lake Elmo is about 16 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 rainbow trout, crappie, largemouth bass, channel catfish, cutthroat trout, common carp, yellow perch, brown trout, pumpkinseed, bluegill, muskellunge on Lake Elmo.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Lake Elmo 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.
Lake Josephine 7 mi · Joels Pond 9 mi · Laurel Pond 19 mi · Bighorn River 42 mi · Yellowtail Afterbay Reservoir 45 mi · Big Wall Pond 52 mi · Bighorn Lake 55 mi, MT/WY · Yellowstone River 69 mi · Timberline Lake 70 mi · Crow Lake 70 mi · Sylvan Lake 70 mi · East Rosebud Lake 72 mi
See how Lake Elmo stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best crappie lakes in Montana · best bluegill lakes in Montana · best channel catfish 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.