Lower Stillwater 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 Lower Stillwater 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 Lower Stillwater Lake on the board.

Fishing Lower Stillwater Lake: what the data says

171-acre lake in Flathead County, Montana. The lake tops out around 50 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.

Traced from the shoreline, Lower Stillwater Lake runs 171 acres with 2.3 miles of edge. At index 1.3 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 42% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.1 mi with a 0.4-mi widest point. The water lies in Flathead County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Upper Martin Lake, 4 mi northwest of here.

Crappie fishing at Lower Stillwater Lake

Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	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 (50 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Lake Trout fishing at Lower Stillwater Lake

Spring puts lake trout in skinny water — 10 to 40 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 50 ft, wintering in 13 to 50 ft. Summer lake trout concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 50 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (39 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	15 to 50 ft	dawn	Deep basin (50 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (39 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	13 to 50 ft	dawn	Deep basin (50 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Lake Whitefish fishing at Lower Stillwater Lake

Early season lake whitefish use the shallows, holding in 15 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 50 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 50 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 50 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	15 to 45 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (39 ft)	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	15 to 50 ft	dawn	Deep basin (50 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	open water	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	15 to 50 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (50 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Yellow Perch fishing at Lower Stillwater Lake

Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 (1 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (39 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (39 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (50 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Northern Pike fishing at Lower Stillwater Lake

Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 1 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Lower Stillwater Lake

Come spring, look for cutthroat trout tight to the bank in 3 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 39 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (39 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	10 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (39 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Lower Stillwater Lake also holds 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

The chart marks 6 structure features on Lower Stillwater Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 50 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 50 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 39 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lower Stillwater Lake?

Lower Stillwater Lake is about 50 ft (15 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 Lower Stillwater Lake?

Anglers target crappie, lake trout, lake whitefish, yellow perch, northern pike, cutthroat trout, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout on Lower Stillwater Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lower Stillwater Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 50 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lower Stillwater 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 Lower Stillwater Lake?

Fishing on Lower Stillwater 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

Upper Martin Lake 4 mi · Murray Lake 7 mi · Bootjack Lake (Flathead) 8 mi · Woods Lake 8 mi · Little Beaver Lake 8 mi · Tally Lake 8 mi · Beaver Lake 9 mi · Whitefish Lake 9 mi · Big Fire Lake 10 mi · Moose Lake 11 mi · Skyles Lake 11 mi · Spencer Lake 11 mi

See how Lower Stillwater Lake stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Montana · best crappie 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.