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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
3,577-acre reservoir near Blaine. The lake tops out around 50 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 3,258 acres of water rimmed by 37.3 miles of bank. The 4.7 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. 60% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 7.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 4.8 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Camas County. For a second option, Carey Lake lies 25 mi east.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Big Wood River inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Big Wood River inflow (5 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Big Wood River inflow (5 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (23 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring steelhead on Magic Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 45 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 15 ft. The chart's best answer is Big Wood River inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 5 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with an orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Big Wood River inflow (5 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 5 to 45 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (43 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Big Wood River inflow (5 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Big Wood River inflow (5 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Start shallow in spring: kokanee sit in 10 to 30 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 50 ft, and winter fish settle into 13 to 50 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 43 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (23 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn | Deep basin (43 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Big Wood River inflow (5 ft) | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 13 to 50 ft | dawn | Deep basin (43 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
In spring, coho salmon run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 50 ft before dropping to 15 to 50 ft for winter. Spring coho salmon concentrate at Big Wood River inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Big Wood River inflow (5 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (43 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Big Wood River inflow (5 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 15 to 50 ft | midday | Deep basin (43 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Spring yellow perch on Magic Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| 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 | Break off the point (23 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (23 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (23 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
13 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 43 ft, is the deepest of them.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1 | Rainbow Trout | — | ~13" |
| Mar 26 | Rainbow Trout | — | ~13" |
| Mar 18 | Rainbow Trout | — | ~13" |
| Feb 24 | Rainbow Trout | — | ~1.5" |
| Feb 23 | Rainbow Trout | — | ~1.5" |
| Aug 15, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | — | ~4.5" |
| Aug 14, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | — | ~4.5" |
Source: Idaho Fish & Game stocking records, retrieved 2026-09-03.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Idaho waters are set by the Idaho Fish and Game — and special regulations can apply to Magic Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Idaho fishing regulations →
Magic Reservoir is about 50 ft (15 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 rainbow trout, steelhead, kokanee, coho salmon, yellow perch on Magic Reservoir.
Big Wood River inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The interactive chart above rates every 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.
Yes — per Idaho Fish & Game stocking records records, Magic Reservoir was most recently stocked Apr 1 with rainbow trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Magic Reservoir is regulated by the Idaho Fish and Game. Check the official Idaho regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Carey Lake 25 mi · Anderson Ranch Reservoir 48 mi · Perkins Lake 49 mi · Pettit Lake 53 mi · Toxaway Lake 54 mi · Yellow Belly Lake 54 mi · Mountain Home Reservoir 63 mi · Salmon River (Upper) 74 mi · Arrowrock Reservoir 74 mi · C.J. Strike Reservoir 78 mi · Cedar Creek Reservoir 79 mi · Bull Trout Lake 81 mi
See how Magic Reservoir stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Idaho · best yellow perch lakes in Idaho · best coho salmon lakes in Idaho · best steelhead lakes in Idaho
Browse all Idaho 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.