Pilgrim 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 Pilgrim 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 Pilgrim Lake on the board.

Fishing Pilgrim Lake: what the data says

21-acre lake in Flathead County, Montana. The lake tops out around 120 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

The outline encloses 21 acres, worked by 0.7 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. 0% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 0.3 mi. It sits in Flathead County. If the bite dies, Big Hawk Lake is 1 mi to the southeast.

Walleye fishing at Pilgrim Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Secondary point, a point in about 32 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	open water	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Secondary point (32 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Secondary point (32 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Secondary point (32 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Northern Pike fishing at Pilgrim Lake

Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 113 ft, good for fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	open water	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (113 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	open water	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Pilgrim Lake

In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Fall yellow perch concentrate at Deep basin, a good-rated deep basin around 120 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (120 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (120 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (120 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Pilgrim Lake

Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 45 ft one. The chart's best answer is Secondary point — point, 32 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (32 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Secondary point (32 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (113 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Pilgrim Lake

When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Secondary point: a point around 32 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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	open water	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (32 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (32 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (113 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Lake Trout fishing at Pilgrim Lake

Spring lake trout on Pilgrim Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 120 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (32 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	dawn	Deep basin (120 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (49 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep basin (120 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Pilgrim Lake also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 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 120 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 120 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 113 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 49 ft
Secondary point: point, around 32 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Pilgrim Lake?

Pilgrim Lake is about 120 ft (37 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 Pilgrim Lake?

Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, lake trout, crappie, channel catfish on Pilgrim Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.

Where is the best fishing spot on Pilgrim Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 120 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 Pilgrim Lake?

For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. 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 Pilgrim Lake?

Fishing on Pilgrim 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

Big Hawk Lake 1 mi · Handkerchief Lake 3 mi · Margaret Lake (Flathead) 3 mi · Birch Lake 3 mi · Cliff Lake (Flathead) 4 mi · North Biglow Lake 5 mi · Black Lake 5 mi · Hungry Horse Reservoir 6 mi · Wildcat Lake 7 mi · Loon Lake (Lake) 8 mi · Echo Lake (Flathead) 8 mi · Horseshoe Lake (Lake) 9 mi

See how Pilgrim Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best walleye lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana · best crappie 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.