Nevada Reservoir 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 Nevada Reservoir

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 Nevada Reservoir on the board.

Fishing Nevada Reservoir: what the data says

402-acre reservoir in Powell County, Montana. The lake tops out around 65 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

Traced from the shoreline, Nevada Reservoir runs 402 acres with 4 miles of edge. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. About 24% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 1.8 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Powell County. For a second option, Browns Lake lies 15 mi northwest.

Yellow Perch fishing at Nevada Reservoir

Spring yellow perch on Nevada Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Back-bay flat — weed flat, 8 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in 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	Back-bay flat (8 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (22 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (22 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (22 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Nevada Reservoir

Early season cutthroat trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 35 ft game here, winter a 10 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 22 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (22 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (12 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	10 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (22 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Nevada Reservoir

The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 8 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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	Secondary point (12 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (22 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (12 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (22 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

7 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 64 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 64 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 22 ft
Secondary point: point, around 12 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 7 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

Nevada Reservoir 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 Nevada Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Nevada Reservoir?

Nevada Reservoir is about 65 ft (20 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 Nevada Reservoir?

Anglers target yellow perch, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout on Nevada Reservoir.

Where is the best fishing spot on Nevada Reservoir?

Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Nevada Reservoir?

For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. 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 Nevada Reservoir?

Fishing on Nevada Reservoir 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

Browns Lake 15 mi · Blackfoot River 20 mi · Coopers Lake 21 mi · Heart Lake (Lewis and Clark) 25 mi · Parker Lake 25 mi · Upsata Lake 28 mi · Lake Otatsy 29 mi · Camp Lake (Lewis and Clark) 29 mi · Canyon Lake (Lewis and Clark) 29 mi · Harpers Lake 32 mi · Salmon Lake 35 mi · Spring Meadow Lake 36 mi

See how Nevada Reservoir stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch lakes in Montana · best cutthroat trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Powell County fishing maps (8 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.