Rock 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 Rock 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 Rock Lake on the board.

Fishing Rock Lake: what the data says

34-acre lake in Lincoln 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.

Drawn out, this is 31 acres of water rimmed by 1.1 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.4 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. 57% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 0.4 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Lincoln County. The nearest mapped water is Long Lake (Lincoln), 1 mi to the southeast.

Brook Trout fishing at Rock Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: brook trout in 2 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 3 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 30 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (6 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (30 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (6 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Rainbow Trout fishing at Rock Lake

Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (6 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (24 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	9 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (24 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	6 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (24 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Brown Trout fishing at Rock Lake

Spring brown trout on Rock Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 9 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 30 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 24 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in after dark and early morning. The summer box starts with a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night).

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (6 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	9 to 30 ft	night & dawn	Break off the point (24 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (6 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	4 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (24 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Walleye fishing at Rock Lake

Spring walleye on Rock Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 9 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 24 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (6 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	9 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (24 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	9 to 30 ft	dusk & night	Break off the point (24 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	9 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (30 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Yellow Perch fishing at Rock Lake

Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 9 to 30 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 30 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (30 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	9 to 30 ft	midday	Deep basin (30 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	9 to 30 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (30 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Northern Pike fishing at Rock Lake

In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage most summer days.

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

Rock Lake also holds smallmouth bass (10 to 30 ft in summer), largemouth bass (8 to 20 ft in summer), crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer), burbot (9 to 30 ft in summer), arctic grayling (3 to 15 ft in summer), cutthroat trout (9 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

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 24 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Rock Lake?

Rock 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 Rock Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, channel catfish, burbot, arctic grayling, cutthroat trout on Rock Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Rock Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Rock Lake?

For brook 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 Rock Lake?

Fishing on Rock 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

Long Lake (Lincoln) 1 mi · Frank Lake 2 mi · Glen Lake 4 mi · Murphy Lake 9 mi · BIG THERRIAULT LAKE 9 mi · Little Therriault Lake 10 mi · Tetrault Lake 10 mi · Martin Lake (Lincoln) 10 mi · Moran Lake 10 mi · Sophie Lake 11 mi · Dickey Lake (Lincoln) 12 mi · Shotnana Lake 14 mi, BC

See how Rock Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best walleye lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Lincoln County fishing maps (28 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.