Handkerchief 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 Handkerchief 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 Handkerchief Lake on the board.

Fishing Handkerchief Lake: what the data says

44-acre lake in Flathead County, Montana. The lake tops out around 20 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 season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

The outline encloses 51 acres, worked by 1.6 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. 68% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 0.7 mi long by 0.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. Flathead County claims this one. If the bite dies, Pilgrim Lake is 3 mi to the southwest.

Arctic Grayling fishing at Handkerchief Lake

When the water first warms, arctic grayling slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 3 to 15 ft game here, winter a 6 to 20 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a dry fly (parachute adams, elk hair caddis) or a small inline spinner rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	1/16 oz spinner (silver), Small dry fly (Adams, Griffith's)
Summer	3 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Dry fly (parachute Adams, elk hair caddis), Small inline spinner
Fall	6 to 20 ft	midday	Break off the point (8 ft)	Small spoon, Beadhead nymph under indicator
Winter	6 to 20 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (20 ft)	Tungsten jig + waxworm, Small jigging spoon (gold)

Rainbow Trout fishing at Handkerchief Lake

Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Through summer count on 5 to 20 ft; the winter hold is 4 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 8 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is 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 (5 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (8 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	6 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (5 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	4 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Handkerchief Lake

Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 (5 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	6 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (8 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	4 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (5 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	5 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (8 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Notable structure

Handkerchief Lake carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 20 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Handkerchief Lake?

Handkerchief Lake is about 20 ft (6 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 Handkerchief Lake?

Anglers target arctic grayling, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout on Handkerchief Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Handkerchief Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for arctic grayling in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Handkerchief Lake?

For arctic grayling, 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 Handkerchief Lake?

Fishing on Handkerchief 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

Pilgrim Lake 3 mi · Hungry Horse Reservoir 3 mi · Big Hawk Lake 3 mi · Cliff Lake (Flathead) 3 mi · Margaret Lake (Flathead) 4 mi · Birch Lake 4 mi · Black Lake 5 mi · North Biglow Lake 6 mi · Wildcat Lake 7 mi · Strawberry Lake 8 mi · Echo Lake (Flathead) 10 mi · Abbot Lake 10 mi

See how Handkerchief Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best arctic grayling lakes in Montana · best cutthroat 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.