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Fishing Pilot Butte Reservoir: what the data says
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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Pilot Butte Reservoir
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Secondary point is the standout, a point at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Burbot fishing at Pilot Butte Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: burbot sit in 25 to 70 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 24 to 81 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 60 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 80 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and midday. A heavy jig + cut bait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 24 to 81 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Crappie fishing at Pilot Butte Reservoir
Spring crappie on Pilot Butte Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 80 ft that scores good in winter. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 80 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 79 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 27 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 22 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 18 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 16 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 13 ft
Common questions
How deep is Pilot Butte Reservoir?
Pilot Butte Reservoir is about 81 ft 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 Pilot Butte Reservoir?
Anglers target crappie, rainbow trout, burbot on Pilot Butte Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Pilot Butte 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
Middle Depression Reservoir · Sand Lake · Bears Ears Lake · Smith Lake · Middle Lake · Lake Cameahwait
See how Pilot Butte Reservoir stacks up: best crappie lakes in Wyoming · best rainbow trout lakes in Wyoming · best burbot lakes in Wyoming
Browse all Wyoming fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.