Lake Inez 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 Inez

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 Inez on the board.

Fishing Lake Inez: what the data says

349-acre lake in Missoula County, Montana. The lake tops out around 72 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 349 acres wrapped in 3.7 miles of bank. Its 1.4 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. About 21% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.7 mi with a 0.5-mi widest point. Missoula County claims this one. Lake Alva sits 2 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.

Kokanee fishing at Lake Inez

When the water first warms, kokanee slide up into 10 to 30 ft. Summer is a 30 to 70 ft game here, winter an 18 to 72 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 72 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (72 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Deep basin (72 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	5 to 40 ft	dawn	open water	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	18 to 72 ft	dawn	Deep basin (72 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Brook Trout fishing at Lake Inez

When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 2 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 3 to 20 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 7 ft of water and rates prime come spring. 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	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	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	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Lake Whitefish fishing at Lake Inez

Spring puts lake whitefish in skinny water — 15 to 45 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 22 to 72 ft; cold water stacks them in 25 to 70 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 72 ft, rated prime for summer lake whitefish. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	15 to 45 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow feeding flat (18 ft)	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	22 to 72 ft	dawn	Deep basin (72 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	25 to 70 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (72 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Northern Pike fishing at Lake Inez

Spring northern pike on Lake Inez hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in 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 (6 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Back-bay flat (10 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 Inez

Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. 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 (6 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Back-bay flat (10 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (72 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow feeding flat (18 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Lake Inez

Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in fall. 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 (7 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	10 to 40 ft	dawn	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Lake Inez also holds brown trout (25 to 60 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), rainbow trout (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

7 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 72 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 72 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 63 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 18 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 10 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Secondary point: point, around 5 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Inez?

Lake Inez is about 72 ft (22 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 Inez?

Anglers target kokanee, brook trout, lake whitefish, northern pike, yellow perch, cutthroat trout, brown trout, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout on Lake Inez.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Inez?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 72 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in winter. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Inez?

For kokanee, the summer bite is best in 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 Inez?

Fishing on Lake Inez 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 Alva 2 mi · Lake Marshall 4 mi · Rainy Lake 4 mi · Morrell Lake 5 mi · Seeley Lake 7 mi · Lake Elsina 7 mi · Summit Lake (Missoula) 7 mi · Clearwater Lake 7 mi · Colt Lake 7 mi · Pierce Lake 8 mi · Pyramid Lake 9 mi · Tuppers Lake 9 mi

See how Lake Inez stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Montana · best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch lakes in Montana · best brown trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Missoula County fishing maps (37 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.