Lake Helena fishing: Rainbow Trout, Walleye, Largemouth Bass

Target species: Rainbow Trout, Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Bluegill

The lake

Lake Helena covers 2,063 acres in Montana, across Lewis and Clark County. It is a lake: 98.4% of it is 7 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 12 feet (3.7 m). Our records hold 5 species for this water.

Lake Helena Causeway.jpg
Montanabw · CC BY-SA 3.0

5 target fish, led by Rainbow Trout

  • Rainbow Trout — Feeding water: 50–65°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Yellow Perch — Feeding water: 45–75°F.
  • Bluegill — Feeding water: 70–85°F.

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 12 ft (3.7 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 98.4% of the water is 7 feet or shallower. We hold 25 depth contour lines for this water.

Lake Helena2.jpg
Montanabw · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • 0–1 ft: 8.7% of the water
  • 1–2 ft: 7.7% of the water
  • 2–3 ft: 10% of the water
  • 3–4 ft: 13.7% of the water
  • 4–5 ft: 14.3% of the water
  • 5–6 ft: 15.7% of the water
  • 6–7 ft: 28.3% of the water
  • 7–8 ft: 1.6% of the water

Stocking: 1,070,522 fish, 1926–1999

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks records list 1,070,522 fish released into this water from 1926 to 1999. The latest stocking on record is from 1999, more than three years ago.

Lake Helena1.jpg
Montanabw · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Walleye: 500,000 in 1951
  • Largemouth Bass: 302,954 in 1945–1991
  • Bluegill: 2,268 in 1945–1948
  • Yellow Perch: 1,700 in 1931

4 more species on the stocking list.

Ramps and access

On this water we hold 2 shore access points.

Shore access for bank fishing

  • Causeway website myfwp.mt.gov/fishMT/fas/39753442
  • Lake Helena website myfwp.mt.gov/fishMT/fas/39754654

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 2 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 66°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8.4. These readings span 2019–2026.

What is hard here

With 98.4% of the water 7 feet or less, low level turns the flats into hazards.

Where this data comes from

  • Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.