Best arctic grayling lakes in Montana
20 Montana waters list arctic grayling (official records or labelled estimates), 20 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The sail-finned insect sipper of the north — eager on dries, flashy on small spinners, gorgeous every time.
- Hebgen Lake — 75 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Lake WhitefishWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
- Gibson Reservoir — 165 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Arctic Grayling, Cutthroat TroutWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Pishkun Reservoir — 78 ft max · real survey depth contours · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Brook TroutWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Fox Lake (Park) — 70 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Arctic GraylingWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Rogers Lake — 15 ft max · real survey depth contours · Arctic Grayling, Cutthroat TroutWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Mussigbrod Lake — 69 ft max · real survey depth contours · Brook Trout, Burbot, Arctic GraylingWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Widgeon Pond — 4 ft max · real survey depth contours · Brook Trout, Arctic GraylingWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Lower Miner Lakes — 33 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Burbot, Arctic GraylingWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Handkerchief Lake — 20 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Arctic Grayling, Cutthroat TroutWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Heart Lake (Lewis and Clark) — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Arctic Grayling, Cutthroat TroutWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Kaufman Lake (Falls Creek Lake) (Park) — 70 ft max · real survey depth contours · Arctic Grayling, Cutthroat TroutWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Sky Top Lakes (Park) — 50 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Brook TroutWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Sylvia Lake — 43 ft max · real survey depth contours · Arctic Grayling, Cutthroat TroutWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lost Lake (Carbon) — 25 ft max · real survey depth contours · Arctic Grayling, Cutthroat TroutWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Rock Lake — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern PikeWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Shay Lake — 30 ft max · real survey depth contours · Rainbow Trout, Lake Whitefish, Arctic GraylingWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Tunnel Lake — 24 ft max · real survey depth contours · Arctic Grayling, Cutthroat TroutWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Foy Lake — 120 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, KokaneeWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
…plus 2 more Montana waters holding arctic grayling.
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How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See Montana waters with public access data
When to fish arctic grayling in Montana
- Spring 2–10 ft — Right after ice-out they crowd inlets and shallow gravel, eating anything small that moves.
- Summer 3–15 ft — Cruisers work the flats and inlet currents — a dry fly or 1/16 oz spinner covers everything.
- Fall 6–20 ft — Schools slide toward deeper wintering water but still eat small baits readily.
- Winter 8–25 ft — Wintering pods in the deeper holes — small jigs tipped with a single egg or waxworm.
Also in Montana: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best sauger lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes
Arctic Grayling elsewhere: British Columbia · Saskatchewan · Wyoming · Alberta · Alaska · Utah