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Fishing Van Houten Lake: what the data says
11-acre lake near Montana. The lake tops out around 8 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 is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Walleye fishing at Van Houten Lake
Spring walleye on Van Houten Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for fall walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Northern Pike fishing at Van Houten Lake
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for fall northern pike. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Van Houten Lake
Spring yellow perch on Van Houten Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. 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 | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Van Houten Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Van Houten Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Van Houten Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Lake Trout fishing at Van Houten Lake
Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Van Houten Lake also holds crappie (2 to 8 ft in summer), channel catfish (2 to 8 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Van Houten Lake?
Van Houten Lake is about 8 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 Van Houten Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, crappie, channel catfish, rainbow trout, yellow perch, lake trout on Van Houten Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Van Houten Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Van Houten 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.
Nearby waters
Reservoir Lake · Lower Miner Lakes · Twin Lakes (Beaverhead) · Bear Lake (Beaverhead) · Lily Lake (Beaverhead) · Baldy Lake
See how Van Houten 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
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.