Little Loon 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 Loon 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 Loon Lake on the board.

Fishing Little Loon Lake: what the data says

12-acre lake in Lincoln County, Montana. The lake tops out around 35 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.

On the chart, Little Loon Lake draws 12 acres inside 1 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 2) — enough points and pockets to pattern. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 51% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Call it 0.3 mi long by 0.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Lincoln County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Leon Lake, 1 mi east of here.

Crappie fishing at Little Loon Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (29 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	open water	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (35 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Little Loon Lake

Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (9 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (9 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (29 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Brook Trout fishing at Little Loon Lake

Spring puts brook trout in skinny water — 2 to 15 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 3 to 20 ft. Summer brook trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 29 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (9 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (29 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (9 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Lake Whitefish fishing at Little Loon Lake

Spring lake whitefish on Little Loon Lake hold shallow, usually 11 to 35 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 11 to 35 ft in summer, 11 to 35 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 35 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	11 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (29 ft)	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	11 to 35 ft	dawn	Deep basin (35 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	Break off the point (29 ft)	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	11 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (35 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Yellow Perch fishing at Little Loon Lake

When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (29 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (35 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (35 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Northern Pike fishing at Little Loon Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: northern pike in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (9 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (9 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

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

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 35 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 35 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 29 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 9 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Little Loon Lake?

Little Loon Lake is about 35 ft (11 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 Loon Lake?

Anglers target crappie, largemouth bass, brook trout, lake whitefish, yellow perch, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass on Little Loon Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Little Loon Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Little Loon Lake?

For crappie, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. 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 Loon Lake?

Fishing on Little Loon 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

Leon Lake 1 mi · Horseshoe Lake (Lincoln) 1 mi · Crystal Lake (Lincoln) 3 mi · Thompson Lake, Upper 4 mi · Thompson Lake, Middle 6 mi · Thompson Lake, Lower 8 mi · Island Lake 16 mi · Mcgregor Lake 16 mi · Little Bitterroot Lake 22 mi · Hubbart Reservoir 23 mi · Sylvia Lake 25 mi · Rogers Lake 27 mi

See how Little Loon Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana · best crappie 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.