Minneopa Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MT)

Hatch outlook

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Oct 15 · until the hard frosts of mid-October; on the Missouri, August hoppers fish mid-river, not the banks

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Spruce MothActive window

Typical here: Jul 20 – Aug 31 · a conifer-forest event — it needs fir and lodgepole on the banks, so it's a Rock Creek / Blackfoot / upper Bitterroot specialty

adultmorning through midday — moths don't enter the water willingly — landings are sporadic and near the conifer banks; fish the imitation LOW in the film with minimal floatant, even fully drowned, with a little movement

When the moths show, just about every run produces — large trout key on them so hard that one pattern carries the whole box for two weeks.

Honest limit: a small drowned-surface moth has no lure analog. The workable rig is a casting bubble with a drowned moth pattern along the timbered banks in the morning; otherwise fish spinners early and late and leave the moth window to the film.

2–3 weeks at best, and day-to-day — fish key on the moths when they show and vanish with them

The event happens over banks under conifers — the moths rarely reach mid-river

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Minneopa Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Minneopa Lake on the board.

Fishing Minneopa Lake: what the data says

17-acre lake in Beaverhead County, Montana. The lake tops out around 7 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

Drawn out, this is 15 acres of water rimmed by 0.8 miles of bank. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Figure 0.3 mi of water from one end to the other. The water lies in Beaverhead County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Deerhead Lake, 4 mi northeast of here.

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Minneopa Lake

When the water first warms, cutthroat trout slide up into 1 to 7 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 7 ft, winter 2 to 7 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	2 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (6 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	1 to 7 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	2 to 7 ft	dawn	Break off the point (6 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Notable structure

Count 3 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 7 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 7 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft

Minneopa Lake fishing regulations

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 Minneopa Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Minneopa Lake?

Minneopa Lake is about 7 ft (2 m) deep 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 Minneopa Lake?

Anglers target cutthroat trout on Minneopa Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Minneopa Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Minneopa Lake?

For cutthroat 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Minneopa Lake?

Fishing on Minneopa Lake 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.

Nearby waters

Deerhead Lake 4 mi · Kelly Reservioir 4 mi · Sawtooth Lake 4 mi · Tendoy Lake 9 mi · Rainbow Lake (Beaverhead) 10 mi · Lake Agnes 10 mi · Brownes Lake 12 mi · Bear Lake (Beaverhead) 16 mi · Beaverhead River 19 mi · Baldy Lake 21 mi · Sand Lake 22 mi · Lily Lake (Beaverhead) 24 mi

See how Minneopa Lake stacks up: best cutthroat trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Beaverhead County fishing maps (24 charts). 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.