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Fishing Mountain Home Reservoir: what the data says
405-acre reservoir near Elmore. The lake tops out around 14 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Mountain Home Reservoir
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 4 to 14 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 14 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Steelhead fishing at Mountain Home Reservoir
In spring, steelhead run shallow here, mostly 2 to 14 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 14 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for steelhead in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 2 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 2 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Mountain Home Reservoir
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 14 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 14 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Mountain Home Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 14 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 12 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Mountain Home Reservoir?
Mountain Home Reservoir is about 14 ft (4 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.
What fish are in Mountain Home Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, rainbow trout, steelhead on Mountain Home Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Mountain Home Reservoir?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for steelhead in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Mountain Home Reservoir?
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.
Nearby waters
C.J. Strike Reservoir · Anderson Ranch Reservoir · Arrowrock Reservoir · Lucky Peak Lake · Little Blue Creek Reservoir · Toxaway Lake
See how Mountain Home Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Idaho · best bluegill lakes in Idaho · best rainbow trout lakes in Idaho · best steelhead lakes in Idaho
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