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Fishing Ackley Lake: what the data says
226-acre lake near Montana. The lake tops out around 39 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Ackley Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Ackley Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 39 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 39 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Kokanee fishing at Ackley Lake
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. They move out to 12 to 39 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 39 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 39 ft, rated prime for summer kokanee. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 12 to 39 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 39 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 10 to 39 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Brook Trout fishing at Ackley Lake
Spring brook trout on Ackley Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring brook trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Lake Whitefish fishing at Ackley Lake
In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 12 to 39 ft. Summer fish stay in 12 to 39 ft, and winter fish hold in 12 to 39 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 39 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 12 to 39 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 12 to 39 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 12 to 39 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Brown Trout fishing at Ackley Lake
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 12 to 39 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 12 to 39 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Muskellunge fishing at Ackley Lake
In spring, muskellunge run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring muskellunge. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 39 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 33 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 9 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Common questions
How deep is Ackley Lake?
Ackley Lake is about 39 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Ackley Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, muskellunge, brown trout, brook trout, kokanee, lake whitefish on Ackley Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Ackley Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 39 ft of water that rates prime for kokanee in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Ackley Lake?
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Crystal Lake (Fergus) · Kolar Reservoir 2 · Lake Sutherlin · Newlan Reservoir · Yellowstone River · Bailey Reservoir
See how Ackley Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best muskellunge lakes in Montana · best brown trout lakes in Montana · best brook trout lakes in Montana
Browse all Montana fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.