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Best lake trout lakes in Montana

110 Montana waters list lake trout (official records or labelled estimates), 109 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — 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.

1. Flathead Lake — 380 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
2. Tiber Reservoir — 110 ft max · real survey depth contours · Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
3. Swan Lake — 120 ft max · real survey depth contours · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
4. Whitefish Lake — 220 ft max · real survey depth contours · Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
5. Mcgregor Lake — 220 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. Bull Lake (Lincoln) — 60 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Georgetown Lake — 25 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, KokaneeWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
8. Lindbergh Lake — 120 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Echo Lake (Flathead) — 70 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Tally Lake — 450 ft max · real survey depth contours · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
11. Holland Lake — 140 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, KokaneeWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
12. Spar Lake — 200 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, KokaneeWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
13. Thompson Lake, Middle — 160 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
14. Rainy Lake — 29 ft max · real survey depth contours · Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Cutthroat Trout, PumpkinseedWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
15. Thompson Lake, Upper — 100 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Dickey Lake (Lincoln) — 70 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Sky Top Lakes (Park) — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Brook TroutWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Tepee Lake — 28 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Loon Lake (Lincoln) — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Lake Five (Flathead) — 60 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Thompson Lake, Lower — 140 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Lower Stillwater Lake — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Northern Pike, Crappie, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
23. Crystal Lake (Lincoln) — 140 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Rainbow Lake (Sanders) — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites

…plus 86 more Montana waters holding lake trout.

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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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