Big Fire Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MT)

Hatch outlook

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Oct 15 · until the hard frosts of mid-October; on the Missouri, August hoppers fish mid-river, not the banks

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Spruce MothActive window

Typical here: Jul 20 – Aug 31 · a conifer-forest event — it needs fir and lodgepole on the banks, so it's a Rock Creek / Blackfoot / upper Bitterroot specialty

adultmorning through midday — moths don't enter the water willingly — landings are sporadic and near the conifer banks; fish the imitation LOW in the film with minimal floatant, even fully drowned, with a little movement

When the moths show, just about every run produces — large trout key on them so hard that one pattern carries the whole box for two weeks.

Honest limit: a small drowned-surface moth has no lure analog. The workable rig is a casting bubble with a drowned moth pattern along the timbered banks in the morning; otherwise fish spinners early and late and leave the moth window to the film.

2–3 weeks at best, and day-to-day — fish key on the moths when they show and vanish with them

The event happens over banks under conifers — the moths rarely reach mid-river

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Big Fire Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Big Fire Lake on the board.

Fishing Big Fire Lake: what the data says

10-acre lake in Flathead County, Montana. The lake tops out around 65 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

On the chart, Big Fire Lake draws 9 acres inside 0.5 miles of shoreline. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. 14% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The water lies in Flathead County. For a second option, Blue Lake (Flathead) lies 4 mi northwest.

Brook Trout fishing at Big Fire Lake

In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 3 to 20 ft for winter. Spring brook trout concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a good-rated feeding flat around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Northern Pike fishing at Big Fire Lake

Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a feeding flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Back-bay flat (7 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Back-bay flat (7 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Back-bay flat (7 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 3 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 64 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 64 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 7 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 4 ft

Big Fire Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Montana waters are set by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Big Fire Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Big Fire Lake?

Big Fire Lake is about 65 ft (20 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.

What fish are in Big Fire Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, northern pike on Big Fire Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Big Fire Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Big Fire Lake?

For brook trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Big Fire Lake?

Fishing on Big Fire Lake is regulated by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Check the official Montana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Blue Lake (Flathead) 4 mi · Fish Lake (Lincoln) 4 mi · Upper Martin Lake 6 mi · Dickey Lake (Lincoln) 8 mi · Upper Whitefish Lake 8 mi · Lower Stillwater Lake 10 mi · Martin Lake (Lincoln) 10 mi · Murphy Lake 10 mi · Chain Lake 3 13 mi · Moose Lake 15 mi · Tally Lake 17 mi · Bootjack Lake (Flathead) 17 mi

See how Big Fire Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Montana · best brook trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Flathead County fishing maps (55 charts). Browse all Montana fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.