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896-acre reservoir near Pavillion. The lake tops out around 81 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Pilot Butte Reservoir maps at 702 acres behind 5.2 miles of shoreline. 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 2% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 2.1 mi end to end and 0.7 mi across at its widest. Fremont County claims this one. Ocean Lake sits 9 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter an 8 to 40 ft one. Start at Secondary point. It's a point holding about 16 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (16 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (27 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (27 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (79 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring burbot on Pilot Butte Reservoir hold shallow, usually 25 to 70 ft. They move out to 24 to 81 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 60 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 80 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run after dark and midday. The summer box starts with a heavy jig + cut bait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (80 ft) | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 24 to 81 ft | night & midday | Deep basin (80 ft) | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (80 ft) | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (80 ft) | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a feeding flat near 13 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (13 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (13 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (80 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Pilot Butte Reservoir carries 7 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 80 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wyoming waters are set by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department — and special regulations can apply to Pilot Butte Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wyoming fishing regulations →
Pilot Butte Reservoir is about 81 ft (25 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 rainbow trout, burbot, crappie on Pilot Butte Reservoir.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 80 ft of water that rates prime for burbot 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 Pilot Butte Reservoir is regulated by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Check the official Wyoming regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Ocean Lake 9 mi · Wind River 23 mi · Middle Depression Reservoir 24 mi · Lake Cameahwait 27 mi · Sand Lake 29 mi · Boysen Reservoir 30 mi · Bears Ears Lake 30 mi · Middle Lake 32 mi · Cathedral Lake 33 mi · Badwater Pond 33 mi · Smith Lake 33 mi · Cloverleaf Lake 33 mi
See how Pilot Butte Reservoir stacks up: best crappie lakes in Wyoming · best rainbow trout lakes in Wyoming · best burbot lakes in Wyoming
More water nearby: Fremont County fishing maps (53 charts). Browse all Wyoming 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.