Salmon 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 Salmon 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 Salmon Lake on the board.

Fishing Salmon Lake: what the data says

1,416-acre lake in Missoula County, Montana. The lake tops out around 65 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.

Kokanee fishing at Salmon Lake

Early season kokanee use the shallows, holding in 10 to 30 ft. Expect a summer slide to 20 to 65 ft, then a winter hold in 16 to 65 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 62 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (26 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	20 to 65 ft	dawn	Deep basin (62 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	5 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (26 ft)	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	16 to 65 ft	dawn	Deep basin (62 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Lake Whitefish fishing at Salmon Lake

Start shallow in spring: lake whitefish sit in 15 to 45 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 20 to 65 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 65 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 62 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	15 to 45 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (26 ft)	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	20 to 65 ft	dawn	Deep basin (62 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	Break off the point (26 ft)	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	20 to 65 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (62 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Northern Pike fishing at Salmon Lake

When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 1 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow feeding flat (19 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow feeding flat (12 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow feeding flat (12 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Salmon Lake

Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 26 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow feeding flat (19 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (26 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Salmon Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow feeding flat (12 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (26 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (26 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (26 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Salmon Lake

In spring, cutthroat trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 35 ft before dropping to 10 to 40 ft for winter. Summer cutthroat trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 26 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (26 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	10 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (26 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Salmon Lake also holds brown trout (25 to 60 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), rainbow trout (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Salmon Lake carries 11 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 62 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 62 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 26 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 19 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 12 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 1 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Salmon Lake?

Salmon Lake is about 65 ft (20 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 Salmon Lake?

Anglers target kokanee, lake whitefish, northern pike, largemouth bass, yellow perch, cutthroat trout, brown trout, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout on Salmon Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Salmon Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 62 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Salmon Lake?

For kokanee, 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 Salmon Lake?

Fishing on Salmon 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

Harpers Lake 5 mi · Placid Lake 6 mi · Cottonwood Lake, Middle 6 mi · Tuppers Lake 7 mi · Seeley Lake 9 mi · Upsata Lake 9 mi · Pyramid Lake 12 mi · Morrell Lake 15 mi · Lake Inez 15 mi · Blackfoot River 16 mi · Lake Alva 18 mi · Lake Elsina 18 mi

See how Salmon Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana · best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch 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.