Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Lake Josephine
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Lake Josephine: what the data says
45-acre lake near 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Crappie fishing at Lake Josephine
Spring crappie on Lake Josephine hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Walleye fishing at Lake Josephine
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Josephine
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday |
Goldeye fishing at Lake Josephine
Start shallow in spring: goldeye sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 7 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is the evening and early morning. A small spinner or a dry flies / foam hoppers at dusk covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Small jig (white/pink) under a float, Inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Small spinner, Dry flies / foam hoppers at dusk |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Small jig + twister tail, Inline spinner (deeper) |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Small jig tipped with minnow piece |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Josephine
Spring largemouth bass on Lake Josephine hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Common Carp fishing at Lake Josephine
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring common carp. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday |
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.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 7 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Josephine?
Lake Josephine is about 8 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 Lake Josephine?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, muskellunge, yellow perch, common carp, brown trout, pumpkinseed, goldeye on Lake Josephine.
Where is the best fishing spot 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.
When is the best time to fish Lake Josephine?
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.
Nearby waters
Joels Pond · Lake Elmo · Laurel Pond · Yellowtail Afterbay Reservoir · Bighorn Lake · Bighorn River
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 every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.