Tuppers 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 Tuppers 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 Tuppers Lake on the board.

Fishing Tuppers Lake: what the data says

13-acre lake in Missoula 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

Drawn out, this is 13 acres of water rimmed by 0.5 miles of bank. Nearly circular (index 1.1), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 39% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. You'll find it in Missoula County. The nearest mapped water is Placid Lake, 2 mi to the south.

Walleye fishing at Tuppers Lake

Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 9 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 24 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.

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	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 (29 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait

Northern Pike fishing at Tuppers Lake

Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 11 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	open water	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 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	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Tuppers Lake

Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 29 ft that scores prime in fall. 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	open water	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (29 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	9 to 30 ft	midday	Deep basin (29 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	9 to 30 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (29 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Tuppers Lake

Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 11 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.

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	Break off the point (24 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	9 to 30 ft	midday	Break off the point (24 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Rainbow Trout fishing at Tuppers Lake

Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 6 to 30 ft. Winter rainbow trout concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 24 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.

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	Break off the point (24 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	9 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	6 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (24 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Lake Trout fishing at Tuppers Lake

Spring puts lake trout in skinny water — 8 to 30 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 9 to 30 ft, and winter fish hold in 8 to 30 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	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow)
Summer	9 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (29 ft)	White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger
Fall	6 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs
Winter	8 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (29 ft)	White tube jig, Airplane jig

Tuppers 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

The chart marks 3 structure features on Tuppers 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 11 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Tuppers Lake?

Tuppers 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 Tuppers Lake?

Anglers target walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, lake trout, crappie, channel catfish on Tuppers 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 Tuppers 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 Tuppers 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 Tuppers Lake?

Fishing on Tuppers 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

Placid Lake 2 mi · Seeley Lake 3 mi · Salmon Lake 7 mi · Cottonwood Lake, Middle 8 mi · Lake Inez 9 mi · Pyramid Lake 10 mi · Morrell Lake 10 mi · Lake Elsina 11 mi · Lake Marshall 11 mi · Lake Alva 11 mi · Harpers Lake 11 mi · Rainy Lake 13 mi

See how Tuppers 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: 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.