Little Bitterroot 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 Little Bitterroot 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 Little Bitterroot Lake on the board.

Fishing Little Bitterroot Lake: what the data says

2,900-acre lake near Marion. The lake tops out around 260 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

Traced from the shoreline, Little Bitterroot Lake runs 2,905 acres with 11.6 miles of edge — one island included. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 4% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 3.7 mi end to end and 2 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Flathead County. For a second option, Rogers Lake lies 6 mi southeast.

Kokanee fishing at Little Bitterroot Lake

In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 260 ft, rated good for spring kokanee. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (260 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Deep basin (260 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	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep basin (260 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Little Bitterroot Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (240 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Little Bitterroot Lake

Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a feeding flat around 19 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (19 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (19 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (260 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (19 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Rainbow Trout fishing at Little Bitterroot Lake

Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Fall rainbow trout concentrate at Rock reef, a prime-rated rock pile around 11 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (11 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (11 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Rock reef (11 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Little Bitterroot Lake

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Rock reef, a rock pile in the 11 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (11 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (11 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (240 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Notable structure

Little Bitterroot Lake carries 11 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 260 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 260 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 240 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 72 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 70 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 34 ft
Secondary point: point, around 23 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 19 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 16 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 11 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 11 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Little Bitterroot Lake?

Little Bitterroot Lake is about 260 ft (79 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 Little Bitterroot Lake?

Anglers target kokanee, largemouth bass, yellow perch, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass on Little Bitterroot Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Little Bitterroot Lake?

Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Little Bitterroot Lake?

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 Little Bitterroot Lake?

Fishing on Little Bitterroot 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

Rogers Lake 6 mi · Ashley Lake 7 mi · Mcgregor Lake 9 mi · Hubbart Reservoir 12 mi · Island Lake 15 mi · Thompson Lake, Lower 16 mi · Sylvia Lake 16 mi · Foy Lake 17 mi · Thompson Lake, Middle 17 mi · Thompson Lake, Upper 19 mi · Lake Mary Ronan 19 mi · Crystal Lake (Lincoln) 20 mi

See how Little Bitterroot Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch 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.