Upper Whitefish 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.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Upper Whitefish 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 Whitefish Lake on the board.

Fishing Upper Whitefish Lake: what the data says

69-acre lake in Flathead County, 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

The drawn water covers 83 acres wrapped in 1.6 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.2 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. About 60% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 0.5 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.4 mi at the beam. It sits in Flathead County. If the bite dies, Chain Lake 3 is 6 mi to the north.

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Upper Whitefish Lake

Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 20 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	7 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (20 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	6 to 25 ft	dawn	Break off the point (20 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 25 ft.

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

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Upper Whitefish Lake?

Upper Whitefish Lake is about 25 ft (8 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 Whitefish Lake?

Anglers target cutthroat trout on Upper Whitefish Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Upper Whitefish Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Upper Whitefish Lake?

For cutthroat 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 Whitefish Lake?

Fishing on Upper Whitefish 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

Chain Lake 3 6 mi · Fish Lake (Lincoln) 7 mi · Big Fire Lake 8 mi · Blue Lake (Flathead) 9 mi · Moose Lake 9 mi · Upper Martin Lake 10 mi · Dickey Lake (Lincoln) 11 mi · Lower Stillwater Lake 11 mi · Martin Lake (Lincoln) 12 mi · Murphy Lake 13 mi · Tepee Lake 17 mi · Woods Lake 18 mi

See how Upper Whitefish Lake stacks up: best cutthroat trout 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.