Bull Lake (Lincoln) 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 Bull Lake (Lincoln)

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

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Fishing Bull Lake (Lincoln): what the data says

1,995-acre lake in Lincoln County, Montana. The lake tops out around 60 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

Traced from the shoreline, Bull Lake (Lincoln) runs 1,995 acres with 9 miles of edge. Its 1.4 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. About 34% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 4.1 mi with a 1-mi widest point. You'll find it in Lincoln County. The nearest mapped water is Spar Lake, 4 mi to the west.

Walleye fishing at Bull Lake (Lincoln)

Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Put Shoreline break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 19 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Northern Pike fishing at Bull Lake (Lincoln)

Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Back-bay flat (9 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Back-bay flat (9 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Bull Lake (Lincoln)

Spring yellow perch on Bull Lake (Lincoln) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Bull Lake (Lincoln)

Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Shoreline break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 19 ft, rated prime for winter smallmouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Bull Lake (Lincoln)

The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Shoreline break, a drop-off in the 19 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Lake Trout fishing at Bull Lake (Lincoln)

Start shallow in spring: lake trout sit in 10 to 40 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 18 to 60 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 60 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 60 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	18 to 60 ft	dawn	Deep basin (60 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	Shoreline break (19 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	15 to 60 ft	dawn	Deep basin (60 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Bull Lake (Lincoln) also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

The chart marks 6 structure features on Bull Lake (Lincoln); the deepest is Deep basin at about 60 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 60 ft
Shoreline break: drop-off, around 19 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 18 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 13 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 9 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Bull Lake (Lincoln) 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 Bull Lake (Lincoln) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Bull Lake (Lincoln)?

Bull Lake (Lincoln) is about 60 ft (18 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 Bull Lake (Lincoln)?

Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, lake trout, crappie, channel catfish on Bull Lake (Lincoln). This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.

Where is the best fishing spot on Bull Lake (Lincoln)?

Shoreline break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Bull Lake (Lincoln)?

For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. 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 Bull Lake (Lincoln)?

Fishing on Bull Lake (Lincoln) 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

Spar Lake 4 mi · Savage Lake 12 mi · Antelope Lake 16 mi, ID · Kootenai River 18 mi · Kilbrennan Lake 24 mi · Loon Lake (Lincoln) 26 mi · Lake Pend Oreille 27 mi, ID · Shepherd Lake 31 mi, ID · Little Loon Lake 32 mi · Leon Lake 33 mi · Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) 34 mi · Crystal Lake (Lincoln) 35 mi

See how Bull Lake (Lincoln) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best walleye lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana · best crappie lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Lincoln County fishing maps (28 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.