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482-acre lake in Meagher County, Montana. The lake tops out around 51 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Lake Sutherlin maps at 482 acres behind 3.8 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.2) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 52% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.4 mi with a 1-mi widest point. Meagher County claims this one. If the bite dies, Newlan Reservoir is 9 mi to the west.
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter an 8 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 18 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (10 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (10 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring kokanee on Lake Sutherlin hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. They move out to 15 to 51 ft in summer and finish the year down in 13 to 51 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 51 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 15 to 51 ft | dawn | Deep basin (51 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 13 to 51 ft | dawn | Deep basin (51 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Spring brook trout on Lake Sutherlin hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 20 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 18 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (2 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake whitefish in 15 to 45 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 51 ft before dropping to 15 to 51 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 51 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 15 to 51 ft | dawn | Deep basin (51 ft) | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 15 to 51 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (51 ft) | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Come spring, look for burbot tight to the bank in 15 to 51 ft. Through summer count on 15 to 51 ft; the winter hold is 13 to 51 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 51 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 51 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (51 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 15 to 51 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (51 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 15 to 51 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (51 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 13 to 51 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (51 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Lake Sutherlin; the deepest is Deep basin at about 51 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 Sutherlin specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Lake Sutherlin is about 51 ft (16 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, kokanee, brook trout, lake whitefish, burbot on Lake Sutherlin.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 51 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Sutherlin 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.
Newlan Reservoir 9 mi · Canyon Ferry Reservoir 42 mi · Ackley Lake 44 mi · Kolar Reservoir 2 46 mi · Hauser Lake 52 mi · Hound Creek Reservoir 53 mi · Lake Helena 57 mi · Gollaher Reservoir 59 mi · Crystal Lake (Fergus) 59 mi · Spring Meadow Lake 64 mi · Missouri River 64 mi · Wadsworth Lake 69 mi
See how Lake Sutherlin stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best brook trout lakes in Montana · best kokanee lakes in Montana · best lake whitefish 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.