Cottonwood Lake, Middle 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 Cottonwood Lake, Middle

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 Cottonwood Lake, Middle on the board.

Fishing Cottonwood Lake, Middle: what the data says

12-acre lake in Missoula County, Montana. The lake tops out around 30 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.

The outline encloses 12 acres, worked by 0.6 miles of shoreline. Its 1.3 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 50% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 0.3 mi end to end. It sits in Missoula County. Salmon Lake sits 6 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Cottonwood Lake, Middle

Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 9 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 23 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (12 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	9 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (23 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (12 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	8 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (23 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Cottonwood Lake, Middle

Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 30 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 23 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (12 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (23 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	9 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (12 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	6 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (23 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Cottonwood Lake, Middle carries 3 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 28 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 28 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 23 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Cottonwood Lake, Middle?

Cottonwood Lake, Middle is about 30 ft (9 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 Cottonwood Lake, Middle?

Anglers target cutthroat trout, rainbow trout on Cottonwood Lake, Middle.

Where is the best fishing spot on Cottonwood Lake, Middle?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Cottonwood Lake, Middle?

For cutthroat 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 Cottonwood Lake, Middle?

Fishing on Cottonwood Lake, Middle 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

Salmon Lake 6 mi · Pyramid Lake 7 mi · Seeley Lake 7 mi · Tuppers Lake 8 mi · Upsata Lake 9 mi · Placid Lake 9 mi · Harpers Lake 10 mi · Morrell Lake 11 mi · Lake Inez 13 mi · Camp Lake (Lewis and Clark) 15 mi · Lake Alva 15 mi · Lake Otatsy 15 mi

See how Cottonwood Lake, Middle stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best cutthroat trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Missoula County fishing maps (37 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.