Sunburst 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.

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Recent catches at Sunburst 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 Sunburst Lake on the board.

Fishing Sunburst Lake: what the data says

130-acre lake in Flathead County, Montana. The lake tops out around 200 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

Sunburst Lake maps at 130 acres behind 1.8 miles of shoreline. At index 1.1 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Roughly 4% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 0.7 mi, about 0.4 mi across. Flathead County claims this one. Palisade Lake sits 4 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.

Walleye fishing at Sunburst Lake

Start shallow in spring: walleye sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 35 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Secondary point, a point in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. Throw a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	4 to 15 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (11 ft)	1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig
Summer	15 to 35 ft	dusk & dawn	Secondary point (14 ft)	Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled)
Fall	12 to 40 ft	dusk & night	Secondary point (14 ft)	Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow
Winter	20 to 40 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (200 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Northern Pike fishing at Sunburst Lake

Spring northern pike on Sunburst Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The chart's best answer is Back-bay flat — feeding flat, 10 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Back-bay flat (10 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Back-bay flat (10 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Back-bay flat (10 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Sunburst Lake

Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Back-bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 10 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Back-bay flat (10 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (22 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (200 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (22 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Sunburst Lake

Spring smallmouth bass on Sunburst Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 11 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Break off the point (124 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Sunburst Lake

Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 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 11 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (124 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Lake Trout fishing at Sunburst Lake

Early season lake trout use the shallows, holding in 10 to 40 ft. Summer is a 50 to 120 ft game here, winter a 20 to 80 ft one. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 11 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	50 to 120 ft	dawn	Break off the point (124 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	10 to 50 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep basin (200 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Sunburst Lake also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 200 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 200 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 124 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 22 ft
Secondary point: point, around 14 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 11 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 10 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Sunburst Lake?

Sunburst Lake is about 200 ft (61 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 Sunburst Lake?

Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, lake trout, crappie, channel catfish on Sunburst Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.

Where is the best fishing spot on Sunburst Lake?

Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Sunburst Lake?

For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and 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 Sunburst Lake?

Fishing on Sunburst 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

Palisade Lake 4 mi · Van Lake 8 mi · Shay Lake 11 mi · Fran Lake 14 mi · Spotted Bear Lake 14 mi · Fatty Lake 15 mi · Rubble Lake 16 mi · Woodward Lake 17 mi · Necklace Lakes 17 mi · Holland Lake 20 mi · Lena Lake 20 mi · Swan Lake 21 mi

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

More water nearby: Flathead County fishing maps (55 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.