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88-acre lake in Carbon County, Montana. The lake tops out around 180 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.
The drawn water covers 91 acres wrapped in 1.9 miles of bank. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. About 2% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 0.8 mi long by 0.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. Carbon County claims this one. If the bite dies, Rimrock Lake is 1 mi to the north.
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 Whirlpool Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 30 ft of water and rates prime come summer. 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 | Shallow bay flat (15 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Whirlpool Creek inflow (30 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (26 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Whirlpool Creek inflow (30 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The chart marks 8 structure features on Rainbow Lake (Carbon); the deepest is Deep basin at about 178 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 Rainbow Lake (Carbon) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Rainbow Lake (Carbon) is about 180 ft (55 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 on Rainbow Lake (Carbon).
Whirlpool Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Rainbow Lake (Carbon) 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.
Rimrock Lake 1 mi · Lake At Falls 1 mi · Martin Lake (Carbon) 2 mi · Summit Lake (Carbon) 2 mi · Vogel Lake 3 mi · Echo Lake (Carbon) 3 mi · Arch Lake 3 mi · Bergschrund Lake 3 mi · Dewey Lake 4 mi · Medicine Lake 4 mi · Froze To Death Lake (Stillwater) 4 mi · Phantom Lake 4 mi
See how Rainbow Lake (Carbon) stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana
More water nearby: Carbon County fishing maps (65 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.