← Montana fishing maps

Best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana

125 Montana waters hold smallmouth bass, 123 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. Current- and rock-loving fighter. Lives around gravel, boulders and hard-bottom structure.

1. Fort Peck Lake — 220 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern PikeWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
2. Canyon Ferry Reservoir — 130 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 9 public access sites
3. Yellowstone River — 10 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Rainbow Trout, Common CarpWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 10 public access sites
4. Mcgregor Lake — 220 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake TroutWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
5. Little Bitterroot Lake — 260 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
6. Bull Lake (Lincoln) — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Red Rock Lake, Upper — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
8. Echo Lake (Flathead) — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Elk Lake (Beaverhead) — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
10. Hubbart Reservoir — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Brook TroutWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
11. Lake Mary Ronan — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
12. Frank Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
13. Glen Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
14. Aero Lake, Upper — 175 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
15. Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) — 130 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
16. Thompson Lake, Middle — 160 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
17. Aero Lake, Lower — 180 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
18. Hidden Lake (Madison) — 72 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
19. Peterson Lake — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
20. Lake Agnes — 59 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
21. Black Canyon Lake — 180 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
22. Widewater Lake (Carbon) — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
23. Castle Rock Reservoir — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
24. Canyon Lake (Carbon) — 80 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
25. Rough Lake (Park) — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached

…plus 100 more Montana waters holding smallmouth bass.

Find the closest smallmouth bass waters to you →

When to fish smallmouth bass in Montana

• Spring 3–12 ft — Gravel and rock flats near deep water; spawning happens on hard bottom.
• Summer 10–30 ft — Offshore rock humps and deep points; smallmouth suspend near bait.
• Fall 8–25 ft — Feeding hard for winter — long tapering points and rocky drops.
• Winter 20–45 ft — Deep, vertical presentations near rocky wintering holes.

Also in Montana: best largemouth 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 lake trout 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

Smallmouth Bass elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Minnesota · British Columbia · Québec · Michigan · Maine · New Hampshire · New York · Wyoming · Massachusetts · New Brunswick · Washington · Indiana · North Dakota · Iowa · Texas · Ohio · Connecticut · Nebraska · Missouri · Vermont · California · Oklahoma · South Dakota · Utah · Arizona · Colorado · Illinois · New Mexico · Nova Scotia · Kansas · West Virginia · Idaho · New Jersey · Kentucky · Oregon · Tennessee · North Carolina · Nevada · Manitoba · Virginia · Rhode Island · Pennsylvania · Arkansas · Maryland