Browns 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 Browns 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 Browns Lake on the board.

Fishing Browns Lake: what the data says

570-acre lake in Powell County, Montana. The lake tops out around 25 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

On the chart, Browns Lake draws 570 acres inside 3.6 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.1), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 73% of this chart. End to end it runs roughly 1.3 mi, about 0.9 mi across. You'll find it in Powell County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Blackfoot River, 6 mi west of here.

Brook Trout fishing at Browns Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: brook trout in 2 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 3 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 25 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (25 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (13 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Kokanee fishing at Browns Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: kokanee in 8 to 25 ft. The depth story barely changes: 8 to 25 ft through summer, 6 to 25 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 25 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	8 to 25 ft	dawn	Deep basin (25 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn	Deep basin (25 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	3 to 25 ft	dawn	Deep basin (25 ft)	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	6 to 25 ft	dawn	Deep basin (25 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Rainbow Trout fishing at Browns Lake

Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (13 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	7 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (13 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	7 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (13 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	5 to 25 ft	dawn	Break off the point (13 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

The chart marks 6 structure features on Browns Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 25 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 25 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 13 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Brown's Lake — ramp (concrete)

Access data: Montana FWP — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Browns 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 Browns Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Browns Lake?

Browns Lake is about 25 ft (8 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 Browns Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, kokanee, rainbow trout on Browns Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Browns Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Browns 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 Browns Lake?

Fishing on Browns 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

Blackfoot River 6 mi · Coopers Lake 10 mi · Upsata Lake 13 mi · Nevada Reservoir 15 mi · Lake Otatsy 15 mi · Camp Lake (Lewis and Clark) 16 mi · Canyon Lake (Lewis and Clark) 16 mi · Harpers Lake 18 mi · Parker Lake 19 mi · Salmon Lake 21 mi · Heart Lake (Lewis and Clark) 21 mi · Cottonwood Lake, Middle 22 mi

See how Browns Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best brook trout lakes in Montana · best kokanee lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Powell County fishing maps (8 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.