Upsata 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 Upsata 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 Upsata Lake on the board.

Fishing Upsata Lake: what the data says

75-acre lake in Powell County, Montana. The lake tops out around 40 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:

Shoreline on the chart totals 1.9 miles. With a 1.9 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. 39% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 0.7 mi long by 0.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Powell County. If the bite dies, Harpers Lake is 8 mi to the southwest.

Northern Pike fishing at Upsata Lake

When the water first warms, northern pike slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (17 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (17 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Upsata Lake

Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (17 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (5 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (17 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Upsata Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (17 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (17 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (40 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Rainbow Trout fishing at Upsata Lake

Spring rainbow trout on Upsata Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 17 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (5 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (17 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (17 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (17 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Upsata Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 40 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 40 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 17 ft
Secondary point: point, around 7 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Upsata Lake — ramp (gravel)

Access data: Montana FWP — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Upsata Lake?

Upsata Lake is about 40 ft (12 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 Upsata Lake?

Anglers target northern pike, largemouth bass, yellow perch, rainbow trout on Upsata Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Upsata Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Upsata Lake?

For northern pike, 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 Upsata Lake?

Fishing on Upsata 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

Harpers Lake 8 mi · Cottonwood Lake, Middle 9 mi · Salmon Lake 9 mi · Blackfoot River 9 mi · Camp Lake (Lewis and Clark) 11 mi · Lake Otatsy 11 mi · Canyon Lake (Lewis and Clark) 13 mi · Browns Lake 13 mi · Coopers Lake 14 mi · Placid Lake 14 mi · Pyramid Lake 15 mi · Tuppers Lake 15 mi

See how Upsata Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana · best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Powell County fishing maps (8 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.