Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
4,335-acre reservoir near Montezuma County. The lake tops out around 262 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 4,336 acres of water rimmed by 54.3 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. With a shoreline index of 5.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 38% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 9.3 mi with a 5.4-mi widest point. You'll find it in Montezuma County. The nearest mapped water is Puett Reservoir, 11 mi to the southeast.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (21 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (21 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 45 ft for winter. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 42 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (21 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (21 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (42 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 30 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 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 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (223 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. 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 (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (21 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (21 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Sharp break: a drop-off around 21 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 | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (2 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (21 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Sharp break (21 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Sharp break (21 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| 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 | Sharp break (21 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (21 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Sharp break (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
McPhee Reservoir also holds kokanee (30 to 70 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), brown trout (25 to 60 ft in summer), rainbow trout (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 13 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 223 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Colorado waters are set by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to McPhee Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Colorado fishing regulations →
McPhee Reservoir is about 262 ft (80 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 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, common carp, crappie, walleye, yellow perch, kokanee, bluegill, brown trout, rainbow trout on McPhee Reservoir.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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 McPhee Reservoir is regulated by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Check the official Colorado regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Puett Reservoir 11 mi · Groundhog Reservoir 22 mi · Trout Lake 41 mi · Andrews Lake 47 mi · Lemon Reservoir 49 mi · Lloyds Lake 50 mi, UT · Recapture Reservoir 51 mi, UT · Blanding Reservoir No. 4 54 mi, UT · Monticello Lake 57 mi, UT · Road Canyon Reservoir 69 mi · San Juan River 69 mi, NM · Navajo Reservoir 71 mi, NM/CO
See how McPhee Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Colorado · best smallmouth bass lakes in Colorado · best walleye lakes in Colorado · best crappie lakes in Colorado
Browse all Colorado 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.