Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Salmon Lake
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Salmon Lake: what the data says
1,416-acre lake near 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Kokanee fishing at Salmon Lake
Spring kokanee on Salmon Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. By summer they slide out to 20 to 65 ft, and by winter most fish are in 16 to 65 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 61 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 20 to 65 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 16 to 65 ft | dawn | 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 61 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 20 to 65 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 20 to 65 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Northern Pike fishing at Salmon Lake
In spring, northern pike run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Salmon Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Salmon Lake
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Salmon Lake
In spring, cutthroat trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 25 ft, rated prime for summer cutthroat trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | 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
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 61 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 25 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 15 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 13 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 12 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 11 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 7 ft
Common questions
How deep is Salmon Lake?
Salmon Lake is about 65 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 Salmon Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbow trout, yellow perch, brown trout, kokanee, lake whitefish, cutthroat trout, pumpkinseed on Salmon Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Salmon Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 61 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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.
Nearby waters
Harpers Lake · Cottonwood Lake, Middle · Placid Lake · Tuppers Lake · Seeley Lake · Pyramid Lake
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
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.