Kilbrennan 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 Kilbrennan 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 Kilbrennan Lake on the board.

Fishing Kilbrennan Lake: what the data says

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

The outline encloses 60 acres, worked by 1.6 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. 71% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 0.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. Lincoln County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Loon Lake (Lincoln), is 10 mi to the east.

Brook Trout fishing at Kilbrennan Lake

When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 2 to 15 ft. Summer is a 6 to 20 ft game here, winter a 3 to 20 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	6 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (20 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Deep basin (20 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Rainbow Trout fishing at Kilbrennan 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 11 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 (7 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (11 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	6 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	4 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (11 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Kilbrennan Lake carries 6 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 11 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
Secondary point: point, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp

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

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Kilbrennan Lake?

Kilbrennan 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 Kilbrennan Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, rainbow trout on Kilbrennan Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Kilbrennan Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Kilbrennan 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 Kilbrennan Lake?

Fishing on Kilbrennan 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

Loon Lake (Lincoln) 10 mi · Savage Lake 12 mi · Perkins Lake 15 mi, ID · Kootenai River 20 mi · Vinal Lake 21 mi · Spar Lake 23 mi · Bull Lake (Lincoln) 24 mi · Antelope Lake 34 mi, ID · Lake Pend Oreille 40 mi, ID · Shepherd Lake 41 mi, ID · Frank Lake 43 mi · Tetrault Lake 43 mi

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