Willow Creek Reservoir 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 Willow Creek Reservoir

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 Willow Creek Reservoir on the board.

Fishing Willow Creek Reservoir: what the data says

1,667-acre reservoir in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. The lake tops out around 50 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

On the chart, Willow Creek Reservoir draws 1,667 acres inside 6.4 miles of shoreline. Its 1.1 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. 55% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 2.4 mi long by 1.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Lewis and Clark County. For a second option, Split Rock Lake lies 8 mi northwest.

Brook Trout fishing at Willow Creek Reservoir

Spring puts brook trout in skinny water — 2 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 3 to 20 ft. Spring brook trout concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 2 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (2 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (8 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (2 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Rainbow Trout fishing at Willow Creek Reservoir

In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (8 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (8 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (8 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

8 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 49 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 49 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 19 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Willow Creek Reservoir — ramp (concrete)

Access data: Montana FWP — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Willow Creek Reservoir 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 Willow Creek Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Willow Creek Reservoir?

Willow Creek Reservoir is about 50 ft (15 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 Willow Creek Reservoir?

Anglers target brook trout, rainbow trout on Willow Creek Reservoir.

Where is the best fishing spot on Willow Creek Reservoir?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Willow Creek Reservoir?

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 Willow Creek Reservoir?

Fishing on Willow Creek Reservoir 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

Split Rock Lake 8 mi · Pishkun Reservoir 8 mi · Tunnel Lake 9 mi · Gibson Reservoir 17 mi · Bean Lake 18 mi · Ostle Reservoir 30 mi · Heart Lake (Lewis and Clark) 31 mi · Parker Lake 31 mi · Canyon Lake (Lewis and Clark) 37 mi · Lewis Pond South 38 mi · Lake Otatsy 38 mi · Camp Lake (Lewis and Clark) 38 mi

See how Willow Creek Reservoir stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best brook trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Lewis and Clark County fishing maps (9 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.