Pierce 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 Pierce 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 Pierce Lake on the board.

Fishing Pierce Lake: what the data says

23-acre lake in Missoula 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

The drawn water covers 23 acres wrapped in 0.8 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.2) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. 39% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 0.3 mi long. Missoula County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Summit Lake (Missoula), is 1 mi to the south.

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Pierce Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: cutthroat trout in 3 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 9 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 18 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	9 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (18 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	8 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (18 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Pierce Lake

When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter a 6 to 30 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 18 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (18 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	9 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (9 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	6 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (18 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Count 4 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 30 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 18 ft
Secondary point: point, around 9 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Pierce Lake?

Pierce 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 Pierce Lake?

Anglers target cutthroat trout, rainbow trout on Pierce Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Pierce Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Pierce 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 Pierce Lake?

Fishing on Pierce 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

Summit Lake (Missoula) 1 mi · Colt Lake 3 mi · Clearwater Lake 3 mi · Rainy Lake 4 mi · Holland Lake 4 mi · Lindbergh Lake 5 mi · Lick Lake (Missoula) 6 mi · Lake Alva 6 mi · South Meadow Lake 7 mi · Lake Marshall 7 mi · Rubble Lake 8 mi · Woodward Lake 8 mi

See how Pierce Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best cutthroat trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Missoula County fishing maps (37 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.