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Fishing Valley Reservoir: what the data says
14-acre reservoir near Montana. The lake tops out around 12 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 Valley Reservoir
Spring rainbow trout on Valley Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Valley Reservoir
Spring yellow perch on Valley Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 11 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Valley Reservoir
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 11 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Valley Reservoir?
Valley Reservoir is about 12 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 Valley Reservoir?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Valley Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Valley Reservoir?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Valley 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
Paulo Reservoir · Current Reservoir · Spotted Eagle Lake · Big Wall Pond · Castle Rock Reservoir · Lake Elmo
See how Valley Reservoir stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch lakes in Montana
Browse all Montana fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.