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21-acre lake in Sweet Grass County, Montana. The lake tops out around 30 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.
Drawn out, this is 21 acres of water rimmed by 0.9 miles of bank. Nearly circular (index 1.4), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. About 59% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 0.4 mi of water from one end to the other. The water lies in Sweet Grass County. For a second option, Mirror Lake lies 1 mi west.
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 9 to 30 ft game here, winter a 9 to 30 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 27 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (27 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (27 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (29 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Fall northern pike concentrate at Secondary point, a prime-rated point around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (8 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (8 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring yellow perch on Rainbow Lake, Upper (Rainbow #2) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 29 ft, prime for fall. 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 | open water | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (29 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (29 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (29 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 9 to 30 ft. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Secondary point, a prime-rated point around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (27 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (27 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
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 6 to 30 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 27 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 | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (27 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 6 to 30 ft | dawn | Break off the point (27 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 8 to 30 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 9 to 30 ft covers summer, 8 to 30 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 29 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (8 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (29 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 6 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Secondary point (8 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 8 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (29 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Rainbow Lake, Upper (Rainbow #2) also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Rainbow Lake, Upper (Rainbow #2) carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 29 ft down.
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, Upper (Rainbow #2) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Rainbow Lake, Upper (Rainbow #2) is about 30 ft (9 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 walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, lake trout, crappie, channel catfish on Rainbow Lake, Upper (Rainbow #2). This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 27 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. 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, Upper (Rainbow #2) 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.
Mirror Lake 1 mi · Owl Lake (Sweet Grass) 1 mi · Fish Lake (Sweet Grass) 2 mi · Wounded Man Lake 2 mi · Narrow Escape Lake 2 mi · Jordan Lake (Sweet Grass) 4 mi · Pentad Lake 4 mi · Lake Surrender 5 mi · Lightning Lake 5 mi · Cimmerian Lake 5 mi · Sienna Lake 6 mi · Jasper Lake (Tumble Lake) 7 mi
See how Rainbow Lake, Upper (Rainbow #2) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best walleye lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana · best crappie lakes in Montana
More water nearby: Sweet Grass County fishing maps (10 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.