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Best lake whitefish lakes in Montana

27 Montana waters hold lake whitefish, 27 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. Cold-water bottom feeder with a cult jigging following — soft bite, hard fight, best eating in the north.

1. Canyon Ferry Reservoir — 130 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
2. Hebgen Lake — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Lake Whitefish, Arctic Grayling
3. Hauser Lake — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
4. Swan Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
5. Whitefish Lake — 220 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout
6. Lake Sherburne — 60 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee
7. Clark Canyon Reservoir — 91 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Common Carp, Brown Trout, Brook Trout
8. Mcgregor Lake — 220 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
9. Seeley Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
10. Salmon Lake — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
11. Quake Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Lake Whitefish
12. Lake Helena — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
13. Lindbergh Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout
14. Placid Lake — 93 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Brown Trout
15. Lake Sutherlin — 51 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee, Lake Whitefish
16. Newlan Reservoir — 87 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Kokanee
17. Holland Lake — 140 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Kokanee
18. Lake Inez — 72 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Brown Trout
19. Lake Alva — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout
20. Glen Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
21. Lower Stillwater Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Northern Pike, Crappie, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
22. Ackley Lake — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Muskellunge, Brown Trout, Brook Trout
23. Peterson Lake — 39 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
24. Lake Marshall — 56 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Lake Whitefish, Cutthroat Trout
25. East Rosebud Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Lake Whitefish

…plus 2 more Montana waters holding lake whitefish.

When to fish lake whitefish in Montana

• Spring 15–45 ft — Post-ice schools graze gravel shoals and hard-bottom flats for invertebrates — small jigs worked slowly.
• Summer 40–90 ft — Whitefish hold deep and cold — vertical blade baits or small spoons dragged near bottom on the deep humps.
• Fall 8–30 ft — The November spawn brings big schools onto shallow rock and gravel — the year's best shot at numbers.
• Winter 25–70 ft — An ice-jigging phenomenon — pound the bottom to raise silt, then hop a small spoon just above it.

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 lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best burbot lakes · best arctic grayling lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes

Lake Whitefish elsewhere: Ontario · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · Wyoming · Alaska · Wisconsin · Manitoba · Alberta