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12-acre reservoir in Valley County, Montana. The lake tops out around 12 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Paulo Reservoir runs 12 acres with 0.6 miles of edge. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 0.3 mi long. The water lies in Valley County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Valley Reservoir, 24 mi south of here.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 12 ft, wintering in 4 to 12 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 12 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts common carp in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 2 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 12 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring common carp. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (11 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 11 ft.
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 Paulo Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Paulo Reservoir is about 12 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, common carp on Paulo Reservoir.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 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 Paulo 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.
Valley Reservoir 24 mi · Fort Peck Lake 34 mi · Current Reservoir 70 mi · Fife Lake 87 mi, SK · Thomson Lake 109 mi, SK · Boxelder Lake 115 mi · Gouverneur Reservoir 115 mi, SK · BR0045 Reservoir 122 mi · Anita Reservoir 122 mi · Gartside Reservoir 127 mi · Big Wall Pond 130 mi · Spotted Eagle Lake 132 mi
See how Paulo Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best bluegill lakes in Montana · best common carp lakes in Montana
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.