Whitefish Lake fishing: Northern Pike, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout

Target species: Northern Pike, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, Bull Trout
Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep for Northern Pike
Second window: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep for Cutthroat Trout

The lake

Whitefish Lake covers 3,321 acres in Montana, across Flathead County. It is a lake: 95.1% of it is 200 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 220 feet (67.1 m). Our records hold 8 species for this water.

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 220 ft (67.1 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 95.1% of the water is 200 feet or shallower. We hold 29 depth contour lines for this water.

Whitefish Lake State Park Montana.JPG
John David Stutts · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • 0–20 ft: 16% of the water
  • 20–40 ft: 7.6% of the water
  • 40–60 ft: 6.2% of the water
  • 60–80 ft: 6.7% of the water
  • 80–100 ft: 6.5% of the water
  • 100–120 ft: 6.4% of the water
  • 120–140 ft: 7.8% of the water
  • 140–160 ft: 10.2% of the water
  • 160–180 ft: 21.3% of the water
  • 180–200 ft: 6.4% of the water
  • 200–220 ft: 4.9% of the water

7 target fish, led by Northern Pike

  • Northern Pike — Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
  • Cutthroat Trout — Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
  • Rainbow Trout — Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
  • Brook Trout — Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
  • Lake Trout — Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
  • Lake Whitefish — Best months: Apr, May, Oct, Nov.
  • Bull Trout — Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct.

Also recorded here: Arctic Grayling.

Water and conditions

Water clarity runs 7.6–33.1 feet on our readings, averaging 21.9 feet, from 40 readings. Our water temperature readings average 53°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. The coldest single reading we hold is 33°F and the warmest is 75°F; the warmest monthly average is 63°F. pH averages 8.2. These readings span 2016–2023.

Whitefish Lake from State Beach to Whitefish Mountain Resort Autumn Courtesy of Mike Koopal.jpg
Schmiebel · CC BY-SA 4.0

Stocking: 14,839,338 fish, 1979–2021

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks records list 14,839,338 fish released into this water from 1979 to 2021. The latest stocking on record is from 2021, more than three years ago.

  • Cutthroat Trout: 2,472,585 in 1925–1969
  • Arctic Grayling: 500,000 in 1928–1952
  • Rainbow Trout: 290,869 in 1924–1991
  • Lake Trout: 162,100 in 1941–1952
  • Brook Trout: 44,450 in 1925–1951
  • Bull Trout: 1,950 in 1951

3 more species on the stocking list.

Whitefish Lake from Big Mountain (48050090152).jpg
Forest Service - Northern Region · Public domain

What is hard here

Clarity swings from 7.6 to 33.1 feet between our readings — the water you meet is not the water someone photographed.

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.