Tendoy Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MT)

Hatch outlook

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Oct 15 · until the hard frosts of mid-October; on the Missouri, August hoppers fish mid-river, not the banks

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Spruce MothActive window

Typical here: Jul 20 – Aug 31 · a conifer-forest event — it needs fir and lodgepole on the banks, so it's a Rock Creek / Blackfoot / upper Bitterroot specialty

adultmorning through midday — moths don't enter the water willingly — landings are sporadic and near the conifer banks; fish the imitation LOW in the film with minimal floatant, even fully drowned, with a little movement

When the moths show, just about every run produces — large trout key on them so hard that one pattern carries the whole box for two weeks.

Honest limit: a small drowned-surface moth has no lure analog. The workable rig is a casting bubble with a drowned moth pattern along the timbered banks in the morning; otherwise fish spinners early and late and leave the moth window to the film.

2–3 weeks at best, and day-to-day — fish key on the moths when they show and vanish with them

The event happens over banks under conifers — the moths rarely reach mid-river

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Tendoy Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Tendoy Lake on the board.

Fishing Tendoy Lake: what the data says

22-acre lake in Beaverhead County, Montana. The lake tops out around 90 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

Traced from the shoreline, Tendoy Lake runs 22 acres with 0.7 miles of edge. At index 1.1 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. About 12% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 0.3 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Beaverhead County. The nearest mapped water is Rainbow Lake (Beaverhead), 4 mi to the east.

Walleye fishing at Tendoy Lake

Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 17 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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	Secondary point (14 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (89 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Northern Pike fishing at Tendoy Lake

Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for fall northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Secondary point (14 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Tendoy Lake

Spring yellow perch on Tendoy Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 89 ft that grades good for fall. The feeding windows run 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 (89 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (89 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (89 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Tendoy Lake

Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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	Secondary point (14 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (49 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Tendoy Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 17 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 (17 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (49 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Lake Trout fishing at Tendoy Lake

Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 27 to 90 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 80 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 89 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. 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	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	27 to 90 ft	dawn	Deep basin (89 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Break off the point (49 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Tendoy Lake 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.

Notable structure

4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 89 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 89 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 49 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 17 ft
Secondary point: point, around 14 ft

Tendoy Lake fishing regulations

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 Tendoy Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Tendoy Lake?

Tendoy Lake is about 90 ft (27 m) deep 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 Tendoy Lake?

Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, lake trout, crappie, channel catfish on Tendoy Lake. 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.

Where is the best fishing spot on Tendoy Lake?

Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Tendoy Lake?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Tendoy Lake?

Fishing on Tendoy 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.

Nearby waters

Rainbow Lake (Beaverhead) 4 mi · Lake Agnes 6 mi · Deerhead Lake 6 mi · Sawtooth Lake 7 mi · Brownes Lake 7 mi · Minneopa Lake 9 mi · Kelly Reservioir 13 mi · Bear Lake (Beaverhead) 14 mi · Baldy Lake 16 mi · Sand Lake 17 mi · Lily Lake (Beaverhead) 19 mi · Beaverhead River 24 mi

See how Tendoy Lake 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: Beaverhead County fishing maps (24 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.