Leon 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.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Leon 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 Leon Lake on the board.

Fishing Leon Lake: what the data says

19-acre lake in Lincoln County, Montana. The lake tops out around 80 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

The outline encloses 19 acres, worked by 1 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. 19% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 0.4 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. Lincoln County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln), is 0 mi to the east.

Yellow Perch fishing at Leon Lake

In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Time it for early morning. 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 (7 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (7 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (80 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (80 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Leon Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: cutthroat trout in 3 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 35 ft, wintering in 10 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 27 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (27 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (27 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	10 to 40 ft	dawn	Main-lake point (27 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Leon Lake

When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter an 8 to 40 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 27 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run 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	Shallow bay flat (7 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (27 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (27 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (78 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Count 4 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 80 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 80 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 78 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 27 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 7 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Leon Lake?

Leon Lake is about 80 ft (24 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 Leon Lake?

Anglers target yellow perch, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout on Leon Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Leon Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Leon Lake?

For yellow perch, 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 Leon Lake?

Fishing on Leon 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

Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) 0 mi · Little Loon Lake 1 mi · Crystal Lake (Lincoln) 2 mi · Thompson Lake, Upper 3 mi · Thompson Lake, Middle 6 mi · Thompson Lake, Lower 8 mi · Island Lake 15 mi · Mcgregor Lake 15 mi · Little Bitterroot Lake 22 mi · Hubbart Reservoir 23 mi · Sylvia Lake 25 mi · Rogers Lake 27 mi

See how Leon Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch lakes in Montana · best cutthroat 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.