Wadsworth 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 Wadsworth 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 Wadsworth Lake on the board.

Fishing Wadsworth Lake: what the data says

49-acre lake in Cascade County, Montana. The lake tops out around 16 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.

On the chart, Wadsworth Lake draws 40 acres inside 1.2 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.4), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Roughly 94% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 0.5 mi long by 0.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Cascade County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lewis Pond South, 12 mi west of here.

Brook Trout fishing at Wadsworth Lake

In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 16 ft, and winter fish settle into 2 to 16 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for summer brook trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	5 to 16 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (16 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	2 to 16 ft	dawn	Deep basin (16 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Walleye fishing at Wadsworth Lake

Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 16 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 16 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (4 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	5 to 16 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (6 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	5 to 16 ft	dusk & night	Break off the point (6 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	5 to 16 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (16 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Common Carp fishing at Wadsworth Lake

Spring puts common carp in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 3 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 16 ft. Spring common carp concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Summer	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Fall	4 to 16 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Winter	5 to 16 ft	midday	Deep basin (16 ft)

Largemouth Bass fishing at Wadsworth Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 16 ft before dropping to 5 to 16 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	5 to 16 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (6 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	5 to 16 ft	midday	Break off the point (6 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Wadsworth Lake

Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 16 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 16 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	5 to 16 ft	dawn	Deep basin (16 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	5 to 16 ft	midday	Deep basin (16 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	5 to 16 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (16 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Pumpkinseed fishing at Wadsworth Lake

Early season pumpkinseed use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 10 ft game here, winter a 5 to 16 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 8 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin
Summer	2 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly)
Fall	4 to 14 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	5 to 16 ft	dawn	Deep basin (16 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Wadsworth Lake also holds rainbow trout (4 to 16 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Wadsworth Lake carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 16 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 16 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Wadsworth Lake?

Wadsworth Lake is about 16 ft (5 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 Wadsworth Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, walleye, common carp, largemouth bass, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout on Wadsworth Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Wadsworth Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Wadsworth Lake?

For brook 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Wadsworth Lake?

Fishing on Wadsworth 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

Lewis Pond South 12 mi · Gollaher Reservoir 23 mi · Missouri River 32 mi · Hound Creek Reservoir 38 mi · Kolar Reservoir 2 45 mi · Willow Creek Reservoir 50 mi · Bean Lake 51 mi · Pishkun Reservoir 52 mi · Split Rock Lake 54 mi · Tunnel Lake 57 mi · Hauser Lake 59 mi · Tiber Reservoir 60 mi

See how Wadsworth Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best walleye lakes in Montana · best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Cascade County fishing maps (5 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.