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9,991-acre reservoir in Box Elder County, Utah. The lake tops out around 22 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Willard Bay Reservoir maps at 9,870 acres behind 19.6 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. A shoreline index of 1.4 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Roughly 82% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 6.4 mi, about 4.1 mi across. Box Elder County claims this one. Mantua Reservoir sits 12 mi northeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring crappie on Willard Bay Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 22 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 22 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 19 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 7 to 22 ft, then a winter hold in 7 to 22 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 19 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (19 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | dusk | Deep basin (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) |
Spring smallmouth bass on Willard Bay Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 22 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 22 ft. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 8 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel shoal (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (10 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 22 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 22 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Gravel shoal (3 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (10 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (10 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (19 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring white bass & hybrids on Willard Bay Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 22 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 22 ft. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 8 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Gravel shoal (3 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Spring bluegill on Willard Bay Reservoir hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 22 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (10 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft | midday | Deep basin (19 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Willard Bay Reservoir also holds common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), yellow perch (7 to 22 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 13 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 19 ft.
Access data: Utah DNR — Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7 | Wiper | 3,480 | ~0.3" |
| Jun 18 | Wiper | 2,612 | ~10" |
| Jun 9 | Wiper | 219,200 | ~0.3" |
| May 11 | Wiper | 700 | ~7.6" |
| May 11 | Wiper | 1,060 | ~7.5" |
| May 11 | Wiper | 1,058 | ~7.8" |
| Apr 7 | Walleye | 95,701 | ~0.3" |
| Apr 6 | Walleye | 950,405 | ~0.3" |
Source: Utah DWR fish-stocking report, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Utah waters are set by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — and special regulations can apply to Willard Bay Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Utah fishing regulations →
Willard Bay Reservoir is about 22 ft (7 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target crappie, channel catfish, smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass & hybrids, bluegill, common carp, largemouth bass, yellow perch on Willard Bay Reservoir.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For crappie, 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.
Yes — per Utah DWR fish-stocking report records, Willard Bay Reservoir was most recently stocked Jul 7 with 3,480 wiper. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Willard Bay Reservoir is regulated by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Check the official Utah regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Mantua Reservoir 12 mi · Pineview Reservoir 16 mi · Hyrum Reservoir 20 mi · Porcupine Reservoir 21 mi · Causey Reservoir 27 mi · Newton Reservoir 36 mi · Lost Creek Reservoir 39 mi · Birch Creek Reservoir 40 mi · East Canyon Reservoir 42 mi · Weber River 46 mi · Echo Reservoir 46 mi · Little Dell Reservoir 47 mi
See how Willard Bay Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Utah · best smallmouth bass lakes in Utah · best walleye lakes in Utah · best crappie lakes in Utah
Browse all Utah fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.