Upper Branham 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 Upper Branham 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 Upper Branham Lake on the board.

Fishing Upper Branham Lake: what the data says

12-acre lake in Madison 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 rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

The drawn outline gives you 0.9 miles of bank to pick apart. Nearly circular (index 1.4), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. About 74% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 0.3 mi long by 0.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. Madison County claims this one. Lower Branham Lake sits 0 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.

Brook Trout fishing at Upper Branham Lake

Spring brook trout on Upper Branham Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 20 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 29 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (5 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (29 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (5 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (11 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Notable structure

The chart marks 4 structure features on Upper Branham Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 29 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 29 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 11 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Upper Branham Lake?

Upper Branham 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 Upper Branham Lake?

Anglers target brook trout on Upper Branham Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Upper Branham Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 29 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Upper Branham 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 Upper Branham Lake?

Fishing on Upper Branham 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

Lower Branham Lake 0 mi · Noble Lake 5 mi · Beaverhead River 34 mi · Madison River 36 mi · Gallatin River 36 mi · Brownes Lake 40 mi · Lake Agnes 41 mi · Rainbow Lake (Beaverhead) 43 mi · Deerhead Lake 45 mi · Tendoy Lake 47 mi · Minneopa Lake 48 mi · Kelly Reservioir 48 mi

See how Upper Branham Lake stacks up: best brook trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Madison County fishing maps (6 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.