Salmon Lake fishing: Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Cutthroat Trout
Target species: Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
The lake
Salmon Lake covers 649 acres in Montana, across Missoula County. It is a lake: 91.2% of it is 50 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 65 feet (19.8 m). Our records hold 6 species for this water.
Depth and bottom
Deepest measured point: at least 65 ft (19.8 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 91.2% of the water is 50 feet or shallower. We hold 80 depth contour lines for this water.
- 0–5 ft: 4.5% of the water
- 5–10 ft: 5.3% of the water
- 10–15 ft: 8.6% of the water
- 15–20 ft: 12% of the water
- 20–25 ft: 10.2% of the water
- 25–30 ft: 10.8% of the water
- 30–35 ft: 9% of the water
- 35–40 ft: 10.3% of the water
- 40–45 ft: 11.5% of the water
- 45–50 ft: 9% of the water
- 50–55 ft: 4.5% of the water
- 55–60 ft: 2.9% of the water
- 60–65 ft: 1.3% of the water
5 target fish, led by Northern Pike
- Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
- Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
- Cutthroat Trout — Feeding water: 50–65°F.
- Rainbow Trout — Feeding water: 50–65°F.
- Yellow Perch — Feeding water: 45–75°F.
Also recorded here: Pumpkinseed.
Stocking: 3,613,087 fish, 1978–2024
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks records list 3,613,087 fish released into this water from 1978 to 2024.
- Rainbow Trout: 689,464 in 1961–1980
- Cutthroat Trout: 523,600 in 1947–1957
- Largemouth Bass: 57,000 in 1928–1931
3 more species on the stocking list.
Water and conditions
Water clarity runs 10.5–19 feet on our readings, averaging 15.1 feet, from 46 readings. Our water temperature readings average 59°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. The coldest single reading we hold is 45°F and the warmest is 70°F; the warmest monthly average is 67°F. These readings span 2017–2019. The latest reading is from 2019, more than three years ago: read these numbers as history, not as the water today.
Where this data comes from
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
- EPA NLA — EPA National Lakes Assessment: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map, 2007.
- 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.
