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Fishing Quake Lake: what the data says
1,332-acre lake near 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Lake Whitefish fishing at Quake Lake
Spring lake whitefish on Quake Lake hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. By summer they slide out to 40 to 90 ft, and by winter most fish are in 25 to 70 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 56 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Brown Trout fishing at Quake Lake
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 35 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 56 ft, rated prime for summer brown trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Quake Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Quake Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 21 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 119 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 56 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 34 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 33 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 21 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 18 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Quake Lake?
Quake Lake is about 120 ft 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 Quake Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, lake whitefish on Quake Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Quake Lake?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 56 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Quake Lake?
For lake whitefish, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Hebgen Lake · Hidden Lake (Madison) · Elk Lake (Beaverhead) · Madison River · Widgeon Pond · Red Rock Lake, Upper
See how Quake Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best brown trout lakes in Montana · best lake whitefish lakes in Montana
Browse all Montana fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.