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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
405-acre reservoir near Elmore. The lake tops out around 14 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 317 acres of water rimmed by 3.7 miles of bank. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. The basin spans about 1.2 mi end to end and 0.7 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Elmore County. For a second option, C.J. Strike Reservoir lies 19 mi southwest.
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 4 to 14 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 14 ft, and they winter in 3 to 14 ft. Winter rainbow trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 14 ft | dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Come spring, look for steelhead tight to the bank in 2 to 14 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 14 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 14 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 12 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. An orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 2 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (12 ft) | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 2 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 14 ft, and winter fish settle into 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. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 14 ft, wintering in 4 to 14 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 14 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Break off the point (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 14 ft | midday | Deep basin (12 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Mountain Home Reservoir carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 12 ft down.
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 Mountain Home Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Idaho fishing regulations →
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.
Anglers target rainbow trout, steelhead, largemouth bass, bluegill 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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.
Fishing on Mountain Home 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.
C.J. Strike Reservoir 19 mi · Anderson Ranch Reservoir 23 mi · Arrowrock Reservoir 32 mi · Lucky Peak Lake 33 mi · Lake Lowell 58 mi · Magic Reservoir 63 mi · Little Blue Creek Reservoir 64 mi · Toxaway Lake 65 mi · Succor Creek Reservoir 66 mi · Perkins Lake 67 mi · Pettit Lake 69 mi · Yellow Belly Lake 70 mi
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
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.