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Fishing Woods Lake: what the data says
21-acre lake near Montana. The lake tops out around 15 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 follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Woods Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Woods Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 9 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Woods Lake
Spring yellow perch on Woods Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for fall yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Woods Lake
Spring smallmouth bass on Woods Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Secondary point: a point around 8 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 15 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Woods Lake?
Woods Lake is about 15 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 Woods Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Woods Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Woods Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 15 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 Woods Lake?
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
Little Beaver Lake · Beaver Lake · Murray Lake · Whitefish Lake · Skyles Lake · Spencer Lake
See how Woods Lake 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.