Montana pond guide

Frenchtown Pond Fishing

Frenchtown Pond is a small, highly accessible Missoula-area fishery best suited to bank anglers, kayaks, and family outings. The State Park provides restrooms, picnic facilities, ADA features, and an adaptive kayak launch, while seasonal gate hours should be checked before travel.

Boat accessAccessible fishing and kayak access
LocationMissoula County, Montana
Primary targetsLargemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout
Best seasonSpring through fall
Lake size18 acres
Max depth17 feet
Access2 documented options
View access Fish in this lake Check conditions Log a catch Recent catches My history here

Guide reviewed

Start here

Plan Frenchtown Pond in 60 seconds

Make the trip decisions first. Use the deeper lake science, surveys, stocking history, and source material below when you want more detail.

1. Start with access

Compare 2 documented access options before you commit to a shoreline or launch.

View access →
2. Choose the target

Start with the documented species list, then open a species guide for seasonal behavior and practical tactics.

Choose a fish →
3. Read the bottom

Use verified depth information to identify basins, breaks, points, channels, and other structure before you fish.

View depth information →
4. Check conditions

Wind, rain, temperature, and changing access can alter the plan quickly. Check current conditions before leaving.

Check conditions →
Lake details

Depth, size & key facts

Max depth17 feet
Elevation3,028 feet
Public launches1
Summer cautionWarm water

Lake depth map

Depth contours may take a little time to load. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Source: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Historical survey data may not reflect current water levels or underwater hazards. Informational only; not for navigation.

Trip conditions

Current conditions

Loading the local forecast. Check access and official notices before leaving.

TodayLoading
WindLoading
GustsLoading
Rain chanceLoading
Four day outlook
Official depth chart
Official static bathymetry Interactive contours available

Frenchtown Pond official depth chart

Open the official depth publication to inspect the lake chart. This static survey complements interactive contours when available and should not be used as a navigation chart.

Frenchtown Pond — Montana FWP Bathymetric Map

Source: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Fishery record

Documented fish species

These species come from the lake record. Open a species guide for identification, seasonal behavior, and practical tactics without confusing general species guidance with a lake-specific survey result.

Browse all species
Bass and sunfish Largemouth Bass Look for weeds, docks, wood, shade, and warmer pockets. View species guide Trout and salmon Rainbow Trout Use bait, small spinners, spoons, or slow trolling depending on access. View species guide Bass and sunfish Pumpkinseed See cover, seasonal movement, presentations, and practical gear tips. View species guide Display groups Bullhead See identification, seasonal behavior, habitat, tactics, and gear guidance. View species guide
Stocking information

Frenchtown Pond Fish Stocking

Recent stocking information summarized from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Dates and quantities can change. Always verify current fishing rules with the official agency before fishing.

Official stocking history Five-year summary · 2022–2026
View agency record
Fish stocked16,452
Stocking events36
Years stocked5
Species stocked1

Species in this period: Rainbow Trout

Most recent stockings

DateSpeciesQuantitySizeDetails
Jun 5, 2026 Rainbow Trout 484 10.4 in avg length Jocko River Trout Hatchery · Montana FWP Fish Stocking Records
May 28, 2026 Rainbow Trout 150 16.3 in avg length Jocko River Trout Hatchery · Montana FWP Fish Stocking Records

Source: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Last checked: Sep 5, 2026 11:09am

Fishery intelligence

Official fishery evidence

Agency survey records and measured fishery data, distilled for trip planning.

7 verified signals
Research & surveys Agency-backed record

Scientific and agency references support this guide.

Use the evidence Turn records into a fishing plan
  • Compare survey evidence with the seasonal guide.
  • Use the map to connect depth, access, and structure.
  • Confirm current rules and access before your trip.
Open seasonal guidance
Angler interpretation

How the fishery changes through the seasons

This is the practical layer: use it alongside the documented species, depth, stocking, survey, access, and regulation record above. The current season opens first.

Spring

trout, bass
Start here
Cooler water, recent stocking, fish moving shallow, and protected shorelines or inlets that warm first.
Watch for
Cold fronts, changing water levels, muddy inflow, and early-season ramp conditions.

Summer

bass, panfish, catfish
Start here
Fish early or late, then adjust toward deeper water, shade, vegetation, or comfortable temperature zones.
Watch for
Warm water, weeds, algae, heat, and heavier boat traffic.

Fall

trout, bass
Start here
Cooling water, shoreline structure, points, weed edges, and simple presentations that let you cover water.
Watch for
Wind on open water, rapidly changing weather, and shorter daylight windows.

Winter

trout
Start here
Legal open-water or ice access, stable depth zones, and conservative cold-weather trip plans.
Watch for
Ice safety where relevant, ramps, road conditions, cold-water exposure, and current rules.
Know before you go

Rules and restrictions

Follow current Montana Western District fishing regulations plus posted State Park rules and seasonal hours; check current closures before fishing or launching.

Check the official fishing source before your trip
Getting on the water

Access and launches

Frenchtown Pond State Park is day-use only and provides ADA access, parking, public restrooms, picnic shelters, fishing access, and an accessible adaptive kayak launch. Park amenities and hours are seasonal.

Sorry, there are no mapped boat ramps for this lake yet. Check the access information below for other ways to reach the water.

More launch links
Official field updates Recent surveys and fishing pressure 6 official updates Latest Jun 30, 2026

Official surveys and pressure information can help with trip planning. Conditions change, and these updates do not guarantee current fishing.

Survey update Light · Medium confidence

Rainbow trout, Panfish

Montana FishMT provides an official Frenchtown Pond waterbody page with public waterbody information, fish species, and survey data sections. Use as source-available survey context, not live catch data.

Survey update Light · Medium confidence

Rainbow trout, Panfish

Montana FWP states FishMT survey inventory data comes from its centralized Fisheries Information System and may include biologist, technician, agency, university, contractor, and other data. Use Frenchtown Pond signals as provisional planning context.

Survey update Light · Medium confidence

Rainbow trout, Panfish

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks FishMT Survey Inventory source check includes fishery survey, sampling, or population context for Frenchtown Pond. This supports species planning for Rainbow trout, Panfish, not guaranteed success.

Survey update Light · Medium confidence

Rainbow trout, Panfish

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks FishMT source check includes fishery survey, sampling, or population context for Frenchtown Pond. This supports species planning for Rainbow trout, Panfish, not guaranteed success.

Survey update Light · Medium confidence

Rainbow Trout

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks FishMT Survey Inventory source check includes fishery survey, sampling, or population context for Frenchtown Pond. This supports species planning for Rainbow trout, Panfish, not guaranteed success.

Survey update Light · Medium confidence

Rainbow Trout

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks FishMT source check includes fishery survey, sampling, or population context for Frenchtown Pond. This supports species planning for Rainbow trout, Panfish, not guaranteed success.

Explore by region or target

More ways to explore this fishery

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Local angler stops

Nearby bait & tackle

Independent and locally owned shops near this water. Call ahead if you need a specific bait or item.

The Missoulian Angler Fly Shop

Independent fly shop
15.4 mi

Missoula, Montana · Independent Missoula fly shop serving the Clark Fork, Bitterroot, Blackfoot, and western Montana fisheries.

Directions Website Call Claim / update listing

Local-business listings can change. FishyNW does not rank shops by payment or sponsorship. Verify current hours and inventory before driving.

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Did you know?

What makes Frenchtown Pond distinctive

At roughly 18.0 acres, Frenchtown Pond is a compact fishery where shoreline structure can dominate the lake.

Frenchtown Pond sits at roughly 3,028 feet in elevation, so seasonal access and water temperature can differ sharply from lowland lakes.

Frenchtown Pond is documented in Missoula County County with a dedicated FishyNW fishing and access profile.

Explore more Northwest water facts →
Research & monitoring

Water science & monitoring

Loading available public monitoring and fishery science. Use this as supporting research, not as a live fishing report.

How to read this data

Temperature, dissolved oxygen, clarity, nutrients, chlorophyll-a, pH, and conductivity are observations from public monitoring records and may be historical. Thermocline depth is shown only when FishyNW can derive a strong vertical temperature gradient from a measured profile. It is not treated as a permanent lake characteristic.

Trophic indication uses the Carlson Trophic State Index only when FishyNW can normalize a measured chlorophyll-a, Secchi, or total-phosphorus value. It is a derived ecological indicator, not an agency impairment determination.

Seasonal Fish Habitat is shown only when verified bathymetry overlaps a same-day, same-station temperature and dissolved-oxygen profile. It is a historical screening snapshot, not a live prediction of where fish are located.

For lake trout, FishyNW uses the broader USGS-tested screening combination of water at or below 15°C (59°F) and dissolved oxygen at or above 4 mg/L. For other coldwater species, FishyNW does not invent a preferred-temperature threshold; it shows only the observed thermocline-to-oxygenated-depth refuge when the evidence supports it.

Harmful-algae status is never inferred from missing data. Always check the linked state source for current advisories before contact recreation.

Sources & feedback
Verified resources

Official links for this lake

Open the source that matches what you are planning.

Planning Official resource Open resource
Community feedback

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Send the correction and, when possible, the source. FishyNW reviews submissions before changing the guide.