Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
28-acre lake in Custer County, Montana. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 28 acres wrapped in 0.8 miles of bank. At index 1 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. The basin spans about 0.3 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. Custer County claims this one. Castle Rock Reservoir sits 51 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring rainbow trout on Spotted Eagle Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 2 to 10 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 10 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 10 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 10 ft, and they winter in 3 to 10 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for winter walleye. Time it for the evening and early morning. You won't need more than a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 10 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: goldeye sit in 3 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 10 ft covers summer, 3 to 10 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 10 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small spinner or a dry flies / foam hoppers at dusk until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Small jig (white/pink) under a float, Inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Small spinner, Dry flies / foam hoppers at dusk |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | Small jig + twister tail, Inline spinner (deeper) |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Small jig tipped with minnow piece |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 10 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spotted Eagle Lake also holds common carp (2 to 10 ft in summer), yellow perch (3 to 10 ft in summer), northern pike (3 to 10 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), freshwater drum (3 to 10 ft in summer), smallmouth bass (3 to 10 ft in summer), bluegill (3 to 10 ft in summer), sauger (3 to 10 ft in summer), burbot (3 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
3 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 10 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Spotted Eagle Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Spotted Eagle Lake is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from published agency bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target rainbow trout, crappie, walleye, channel catfish, goldeye, largemouth bass, common carp, yellow perch, northern pike, pumpkinseed, freshwater drum, smallmouth bass, bluegill, sauger, burbot on Spotted Eagle Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. 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 Spotted Eagle Lake 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.
Castle Rock Reservoir 51 mi · South Sandstone Reservoir 66 mi · Odland Dam 98 mi, ND · Camels Hump Lake 104 mi, ND · Fort Peck Lake 108 mi · Gartside Reservoir 111 mi · Bighorn River 112 mi · Valley Reservoir 114 mi · Kleenburn Pond 2 117 mi, WY · Big Wall Pond 122 mi · Yellowtail Afterbay Reservoir 125 mi · Bowman-Haley Dam 127 mi, ND
See how Spotted Eagle Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best walleye lakes in Montana · best sauger lakes in Montana
Browse all Montana fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.