Best lake trout lakes in Montana
107 Montana waters hold lake trout, 107 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Deep, cold and long-lived. Below 50°F water year-round — shallow at ice-out and on fall spawning reefs.
- Flathead Lake — 380 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
- Swan Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
- Whitefish Lake — 220 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout
- Georgetown Lake — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee
- Red Rock Lake, Upper — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Mcgregor Lake — 220 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
- Tally Lake — 450 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brook Trout
- Bull Lake (Lincoln) — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Lindbergh Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout
- Thompson Lake, Middle — 160 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Echo Lake (Flathead) — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Elk Lake (Beaverhead) — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Thompson Lake, Upper — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Dickey Lake (Lincoln) — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Holland Lake — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Kokanee
- Mission Reservoir, In Part — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Spar Lake — 200 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee
- Frank Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Thompson Lake, Lower — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Lake Five (Flathead) — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Fossil Lake (Carbon) — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Aero Lake, Upper — 175 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) — 130 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Lower Stillwater Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Crappie, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
- Aero Lake, Lower — 180 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
…plus 82 more Montana waters holding lake trout.
When to fish lake trout in Montana
- Spring 10–40 ft — The brief shallow window: post-ice-out lakers roam rock shoals and points where anyone can reach them.
- Summer 50–120 ft — Below the thermocline in sub-50°F water — deep humps and basin edges near bait (smelt, cisco, alewife).
- Fall 10–50 ft — Turnover puts lakers on shallow rock reefs to spawn — big fish shallow, best late in the day.
- Winter 20–80 ft — One of the best ice targets — cold water is their comfort zone; they roam basin edges and humps all winter.
Also in Montana: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best arctic grayling lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes
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