Gunsight 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 Gunsight 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 Gunsight Lake on the board.

Fishing Gunsight Lake: what the data says

136-acre lake in Glacier 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

Traced from the shoreline, Gunsight Lake runs 136 acres with 2.1 miles of edge. Its 1.3 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. 28% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 0.9 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.3 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Glacier County. The nearest mapped water is Lake McDonald, 10 mi to the west.

Brook Trout fishing at Gunsight Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: brook trout in 2 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 3 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 12 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	Secondary point (13 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (12 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Secondary point (13 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (12 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Rainbow Trout fishing at Gunsight Lake

Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 12 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	Secondary point (13 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (12 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (24 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (12 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 65 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 65 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 24 ft
Secondary point: point, around 13 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 12 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 11 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Gunsight Lake?

Gunsight 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 Gunsight Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, rainbow trout on Gunsight Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Gunsight Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Gunsight 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 Gunsight Lake?

Fishing on Gunsight 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

Lake McDonald 10 mi · Camas Lake 11 mi · Redrock Lake 12 mi · Evangeline Lake 13 mi · Lake Sherburne 14 mi · Skiumah Lake 15 mi · Lake Five (Flathead) 18 mi · Glenns Lake 19 mi · Bailey Lake 22 mi · Lion Lake (Flathead) 23 mi · Dickey Lake (Flathead) 23 mi · Marion Lake 25 mi

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

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.