Palisade 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 Palisade 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 Palisade Lake on the board.

Fishing Palisade Lake: what the data says

25-acre lake in Flathead County, Montana. The lake tops out around 25 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 is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.

On the chart, Palisade Lake draws 29 acres inside 0.9 miles of shoreline. At index 1.2 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Roughly 34% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.4 mi, about 0.2 mi across. You'll find it in Flathead County. For a second option, Sunburst Lake lies 4 mi northwest.

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Palisade Lake

Spring cutthroat trout on Palisade Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 25 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 25 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	7 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (25 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	6 to 25 ft	dawn	Break off the point (25 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Notable structure

Count 4 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 25 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 25 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 25 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 11 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 9 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Palisade Lake?

Palisade Lake is about 25 ft (8 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 Palisade Lake?

Anglers target cutthroat trout on Palisade Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Palisade Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Palisade Lake?

For cutthroat trout, 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 Palisade Lake?

Fishing on Palisade 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

Sunburst Lake 4 mi · Van Lake 9 mi · Shay Lake 12 mi · Fran Lake 13 mi · Rubble Lake 13 mi · Woodward Lake 13 mi · Necklace Lakes 14 mi · Lena Lake 16 mi · Holland Lake 17 mi · Fatty Lake 17 mi · Spotted Bear Lake 17 mi · Lick Lake (Missoula) 19 mi

See how Palisade Lake stacks up: best cutthroat trout 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.