Lake Frances 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.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Lake Frances

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 Frances on the board.

Fishing Lake Frances: what the data says

5,703-acre lake in Pondera County, Montana. The lake tops out around 43 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.

Lake Frances maps at 5,703 acres behind 12.3 miles of shoreline. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. About 38% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 5 mi long by 2.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Pondera County. Ostle Reservoir sits 28 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.

Walleye fishing at Lake Frances

The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Rock reef (3 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (18 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Break off the point (18 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (43 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Burbot fishing at Lake Frances

Spring burbot on Lake Frances hold shallow, usually 13 to 43 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 13 to 43 ft in summer, 11 to 43 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 43 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in after dark and midday. The summer box starts with a heavy jig + cut bait.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	13 to 43 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (43 ft)	Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark)
Summer	13 to 43 ft	night & midday	Deep basin (43 ft)	Heavy jig + cut bait
Fall	13 to 43 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (43 ft)	Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow)
Winter	11 to 43 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (43 ft)	Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head

Northern Pike fishing at Lake Frances

Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.

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

Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Frances

In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (18 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (18 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (18 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Rainbow Trout fishing at Lake Frances

When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 18 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (18 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (18 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (18 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Lake Frances carries 10 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 43 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 43 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 18 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 4 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 3 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, 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.

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Frances?

Lake Frances is about 43 ft (13 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 Frances?

Anglers target walleye, burbot, northern pike, yellow perch, rainbow trout on Lake Frances.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Frances?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Frances?

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 Frances?

Fishing on Lake Frances 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

Ostle Reservoir 28 mi · Pishkun Reservoir 43 mi · Split Rock Lake 45 mi · Tunnel Lake 47 mi · Tiber Reservoir 49 mi · Willow Creek Reservoir 51 mi · Gibson Reservoir 53 mi · East Tranquil Basin Lake 57 mi · West Tranquil Basin Lake 58 mi · Lewis Pond South 59 mi · Spotted Bear Lake 62 mi · Marion Lake 65 mi

See how Lake Frances stacks up: best walleye lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana · best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch 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.