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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
1,864-acre lake in Orleans County, Vermont. The lake tops out around 337 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Willoughby runs 1,736 acres with 11.1 miles of edge. Index 1.9 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. About 3% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 4.8 mi end to end and 1.3 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Orleans County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: May Pond, 3 mi west of here.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: burbot in 25 to 70 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 50 to 120 ft before dropping to 15 to 60 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 286 ft of water that rates good for burbot in spring. Plan around after dark and midday in the warm months. Summer baits: a heavy jig + cut bait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (286 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (286 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (286 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (286 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: lake trout in 10 to 40 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 50 to 120 ft before dropping to 20 to 80 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 286 ft of water that rates good for lake trout in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (84 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | Deep basin (286 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (286 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Start shallow in spring: landlocked salmon sit in 1 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 286 ft of water that rates good for landlocked salmon in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + streamer down deep or a thin spoon on lead core until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Streamer flies (Grey Ghost) off boards, Thin spoon (Mooselook style) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (286 ft) | Dodger + streamer down deep, Thin spoon on lead core |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Casting spoon at the mouths, Streamers |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Deep basin (286 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Swedish pimple + smelt |
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in about 6 ft of water that rates good for rainbow trout in spring. 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 | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (152 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — feeding flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (286 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (286 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 8 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 286 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Vermont waters are set by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Lake Willoughby specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Vermont fishing regulations →
Lake Willoughby is about 337 ft (103 m) deep 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.
Anglers target burbot, lake trout, landlocked salmon, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Lake Willoughby.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For burbot, the summer bite is best in after dark and midday. 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 Willoughby is regulated by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife. Check the official Vermont regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
May Pond 3 mi · Bald Hill Pond 4 mi · Newark Pond 4 mi · Jobs Pond 5 mi · Crystal Lake 5 mi · Center Pond 7 mi · Echo Lake 8 mi · Pensioner Pond 9 mi · Baker Pond 9 mi · Lake Parker 9 mi · Island Pond 10 mi · Brownington Pond 10 mi
See how Lake Willoughby stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Vermont · best yellow perch lakes in Vermont · best lake trout lakes in Vermont · best landlocked salmon lakes in Vermont
More water nearby: Orleans County fishing maps (19 charts). Browse all Vermont fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.