Moran 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 Moran 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 Moran Lake on the board.

Fishing Moran Lake: what the data says

34-acre lake in Lincoln County, Montana. The lake tops out around 30 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.

Traced from the shoreline, Moran Lake runs 40 acres with 1.4 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.5) — enough points and pockets to pattern. About 44% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. End to end it runs roughly 0.5 mi, about 0.2 mi across. You'll find it in Lincoln County. For a second option, Sophie Lake lies 1 mi northwest.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Moran 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 9 to 30 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 4 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	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (20 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	9 to 30 ft	midday	Break off the point (20 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Brook Trout fishing at Moran Lake

In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 30 ft, rated prime for summer brook trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (30 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (20 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Moran Lake

Come spring, look for cutthroat trout tight to the bank in 3 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 9 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 30 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in 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 (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	9 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (20 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	8 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (20 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Moran 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 6 to 30 ft. Winter rainbow trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 20 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 (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (20 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	9 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (20 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	6 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (20 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 30 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 20 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Moran Lake?

Moran Lake is about 30 ft (9 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 Moran Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout on Moran Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Moran Lake?

Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 4 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 Moran Lake?

For largemouth bass, 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 Moran Lake?

Fishing on Moran 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

Sophie Lake 1 mi · Tetrault Lake 1 mi · Shotnana Lake 4 mi, BC · Edwards Lakes 9 mi, BC · Glen Lake 9 mi · Little Therriault Lake 10 mi · Rock Lake 10 mi · BIG THERRIAULT LAKE 11 mi · Long Lake (Lincoln) 11 mi · Loon Lake 11 mi, BC · Frank Lake 12 mi · Murphy Lake 19 mi

See how Moran Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best brook trout 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.