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Best walleye lakes in Montana

122 Montana waters hold walleye, 120 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. Low-light predator with reflective eyes. Feeds on structure edges at dawn, dusk and night.

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. Tiber Reservoir — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Rainbow TroutWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
3. Canyon Ferry Reservoir — 130 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 9 public access sites
4. Bighorn Lake — 447 ft max · Walleye, Sauger, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
5. Hauser Lake — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. Lake Frances — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Bull Lake (Lincoln) — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
8. Red Rock Lake, Upper — 5 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
9. Echo Lake (Flathead) — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Elk Lake (Beaverhead) — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
11. Yellowtail Afterbay Reservoir — 46 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Sauger, Channel Catfish, Rainbow TroutWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
12. Lake Helena — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
13. Frank Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
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. Dailey Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Cutthroat TroutWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Hidden Lake (Madison) — 72 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, 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 97 more Montana waters holding walleye.

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When to fish walleye in Montana

• Spring 4–15 ft — Spawning runs to gravel shoals, rocky shorelines and inflows.
• Summer 15–35 ft — Deep humps and breaklines by day; edges and flats in low light.
• Fall 12–40 ft — Fish steep structure near deep basins; big fish move shallow at night.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Deep basin flats and humps; short dawn/dusk feeding windows.

Also in Montana: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass 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

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