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Rating depth structure for rainbow trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
193-acre lake near Custer. The lake tops out around 66 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Yellow Belly Lake runs 200 acres with 3.1 miles of edge. Index 1.6 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. About 48% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.9 mi with a 0.6-mi widest point. You'll find it in Custer County. The nearest mapped water is Pettit Lake, 1 mi to the south.
Early season cutthroat trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 40 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 30 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (17 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (30 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (17 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (30 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 30 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (17 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (30 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (17 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (30 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Yellow Belly Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 56 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Idaho waters are set by the Idaho Fish and Game — and special regulations can apply to Yellow Belly Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Idaho fishing regulations →
Yellow Belly Lake is about 66 ft (20 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 cutthroat trout, rainbow trout on Yellow Belly Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For cutthroat 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.
Fishing on Yellow Belly Lake is regulated by the Idaho Fish and Game. Check the official Idaho regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Pettit Lake 1 mi · Perkins Lake 5 mi · Toxaway Lake 5 mi · Bull Trout Lake 28 mi · Salmon River (Upper) 29 mi · Cape Horn Lake #1 31 mi · Deadwood Reservoir 45 mi · Anderson Ranch Reservoir 47 mi · Magic Reservoir 54 mi · Arrowrock Reservoir 55 mi · Lucky Peak Lake 63 mi · Carey Lake 67 mi
See how Yellow Belly Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Idaho · best cutthroat trout lakes in Idaho
Browse all Idaho 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.