Rainy 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.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Rainy 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 Rainy Lake on the board.

Fishing Rainy Lake: what the data says

77-acre lake in Missoula County, Montana. The lake tops out around 29 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

On the chart, Rainy Lake draws 82 acres inside 2 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.6) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 36% of this chart. The basin spans about 0.6 mi end to end and 0.4 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Missoula County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Alva, 2 mi south of here.

Lake Trout fishing at Rainy Lake

Spring puts lake trout in skinny water — 7 to 29 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 9 to 29 ft, and winter fish hold in 7 to 29 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 29 ft, rated prime for summer lake trout. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	7 to 29 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	9 to 29 ft	dawn	Deep basin (29 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	6 to 29 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	7 to 29 ft	dawn	Deep basin (29 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Yellow Perch fishing at Rainy Lake

Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 9 to 29 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	9 to 29 ft	dawn	Deep basin (29 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	9 to 29 ft	midday	Deep basin (29 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	9 to 29 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (29 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Rainy Lake

Come spring, look for cutthroat trout tight to the bank in 3 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 29 ft, then a winter hold in 7 to 29 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 24 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 (10 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 29 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (24 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	7 to 29 ft	dawn	Break off the point (24 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Pumpkinseed fishing at Rainy Lake

Early season pumpkinseed use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 10 ft game here, winter a 6 to 18 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 8 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin
Summer	2 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly)
Fall	4 to 14 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	6 to 18 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Notable structure

The chart marks 6 structure features on Rainy Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 29 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 29 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 24 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Secondary point: point, around 2 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Rainy Lake?

Rainy Lake is about 29 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 Rainy Lake?

Anglers target lake trout, yellow perch, cutthroat trout, pumpkinseed on Rainy Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Rainy Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 29 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Rainy Lake?

For lake trout, 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Rainy Lake?

Fishing on Rainy 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

Lake Alva 2 mi · Summit Lake (Missoula) 3 mi · Clearwater Lake 4 mi · Colt Lake 4 mi · Pierce Lake 4 mi · Lake Inez 4 mi · Lake Marshall 4 mi · Morrell Lake 7 mi · Lick Lake (Missoula) 7 mi · Lindbergh Lake 7 mi · Holland Lake 8 mi · South Meadow Lake 8 mi

See how Rainy Lake stacks up: best yellow perch lakes in Montana · best lake trout lakes in Montana · best cutthroat trout lakes in Montana · best pumpkinseed 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.