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Fishing Upper Whitefish Lake: what the data says
69-acre lake near Montana. The lake tops out around 25 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 is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Upper Whitefish Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 5 to 25 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Upper Whitefish Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Upper Whitefish Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 10 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 25 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 20 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 7 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Upper Whitefish Lake?
Upper Whitefish Lake is about 25 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 Upper Whitefish Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Upper Whitefish Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Upper Whitefish Lake?
Back-bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Upper Whitefish Lake?
For rainbow 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.
Nearby waters
Chain Lake 3 · Upper Martin Lake · Fish Lake (Lincoln) · Big Fire Lake · Lower Stillwater Lake · Blue Lake (Flathead)
See how Upper Whitefish Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass 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.