Lake Five (Flathead) 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 Lake Five (Flathead)

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 Lake Five (Flathead) on the board.

Fishing Lake Five (Flathead): what the data says

215-acre lake in Flathead 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.

The drawn water covers 215 acres wrapped in 2.5 miles of bank. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. 52% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 1 mi, about 0.6 mi across. It sits in Flathead County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Bailey Lake, is 5 mi to the west.

Walleye fishing at Lake Five (Flathead)

Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 10 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (10 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (10 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Break off the point (10 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (60 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Northern Pike fishing at Lake Five (Flathead)

Spring northern pike on Lake Five (Flathead) hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 10 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (10 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (10 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Break off the point (10 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Five (Flathead)

Spring puts yellow perch 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 15 to 35 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for summer yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (10 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (10 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (60 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Lake Five (Flathead)

Spring smallmouth bass on Lake Five (Flathead) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 10 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (10 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (10 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (10 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Five (Flathead)

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 8 to 40 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 10 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	Break off the point (10 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (10 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (10 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (10 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Lake Trout fishing at Lake Five (Flathead)

Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Expect a summer slide to 18 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 60 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 60 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (10 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	Break off the point (10 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	15 to 60 ft	dawn	Deep basin (60 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Lake Five (Flathead) 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

Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 60 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 60 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 10 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Paul's Memorial — ramp (concrete)

Access data: Montana FWP — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Lake Five (Flathead) 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 Lake Five (Flathead) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Five (Flathead)?

Lake Five (Flathead) 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 Lake Five (Flathead)?

Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, lake trout, crappie, channel catfish on Lake Five (Flathead). 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 Lake Five (Flathead)?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 60 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Five (Flathead)?

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 Lake Five (Flathead)?

Fishing on Lake Five (Flathead) 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

Bailey Lake 5 mi · Lion Lake (Flathead) 7 mi · Skiumah Lake 9 mi · Lake McDonald 9 mi · Lake Blaine 16 mi · Blanchard Lake 17 mi · Whitefish Lake 17 mi · Gunsight Lake 18 mi · Strawberry Lake 18 mi · Skyles Lake 18 mi · Little Beaver Lake 18 mi · Woods Lake 18 mi

See how Lake Five (Flathead) 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: 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.