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45-acre lake in Yellowstone County, Montana. The lake tops out around 8 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.
The drawn outline gives you 1.5 miles of bank to pick apart. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 2.1) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Figure 0.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Yellowstone County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Joels Pond, 4 mi west of here.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 2 to 8 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 8 ft, winter 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 7 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (7 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (7 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 7 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) |
Spring goldeye on Lake Josephine hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 8 ft in summer, 2 to 8 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 7 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a small spinner or a dry flies / foam hoppers at dusk.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Small jig (white/pink) under a float, Inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (7 ft) | Small spinner, Dry flies / foam hoppers at dusk |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Deep basin (7 ft) | Small jig + twister tail, Inline spinner (deeper) |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) | Small jig tipped with minnow piece |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Break off the point (7 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring common carp. Time it for early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Deep basin (7 ft) |
Lake Josephine also holds yellow perch (2 to 8 ft in summer), brown trout (2 to 8 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 8 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (2 to 8 ft in summer), bluegill (2 to 8 ft in summer), muskellunge (2 to 8 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 7 ft.
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 Josephine specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Lake Josephine is about 8 ft (2 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 crappie, walleye, channel catfish, goldeye, largemouth bass, common carp, yellow perch, brown trout, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, bluegill, muskellunge on Lake Josephine.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 7 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 crappie, 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 Josephine 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.
Joels Pond 4 mi · Lake Elmo 7 mi · Laurel Pond 14 mi · Bighorn River 40 mi · Yellowtail Afterbay Reservoir 41 mi · Bighorn Lake 50 mi, MT/WY · Big Wall Pond 59 mi · Timberline Lake 63 mi · Crow Lake 64 mi · Sylvan Lake 64 mi · Lost Lake (Carbon) 66 mi · East Rosebud Lake 66 mi
See how Lake Josephine stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best walleye lakes in Montana · best crappie 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.