Ashley Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MT)

Hatch outlook

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Oct 15 · until the hard frosts of mid-October; on the Missouri, August hoppers fish mid-river, not the banks

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Spruce MothActive window

Typical here: Jul 20 – Aug 31 · a conifer-forest event — it needs fir and lodgepole on the banks, so it's a Rock Creek / Blackfoot / upper Bitterroot specialty

adultmorning through midday — moths don't enter the water willingly — landings are sporadic and near the conifer banks; fish the imitation LOW in the film with minimal floatant, even fully drowned, with a little movement

When the moths show, just about every run produces — large trout key on them so hard that one pattern carries the whole box for two weeks.

Honest limit: a small drowned-surface moth has no lure analog. The workable rig is a casting bubble with a drowned moth pattern along the timbered banks in the morning; otherwise fish spinners early and late and leave the moth window to the film.

2–3 weeks at best, and day-to-day — fish key on the moths when they show and vanish with them

The event happens over banks under conifers — the moths rarely reach mid-river

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Ashley Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Ashley Lake on the board.

Fishing Ashley Lake: what the data says

2,700-acre lake near Kalispell. The lake tops out around 200 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.

Kokanee fishing at Ashley Lake

Spring kokanee on Ashley Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 30 ft. By summer they slide out to 30 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. The chart's best answer is Sharp break — drop-off, 29 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Sharp break (29 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Sharp break (29 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	5 to 40 ft	dawn	Sharp break (29 ft)	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Sharp break (29 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Ashley Lake

Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Sharp break, a drop-off in the 29 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Sharp break (29 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Sharp break (29 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Sharp break (29 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Ashley Lake

Spring puts cutthroat trout in skinny water — 3 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 40 ft. Sharp break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 29 ft, rated prime for summer cutthroat trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (29 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	10 to 40 ft	dawn	Sharp break (29 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 9 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 200 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 200 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 53 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 41 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 29 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 1 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 1 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 1 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Ashley Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Montana waters are set by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Ashley Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Ashley Lake?

Ashley Lake is about 200 ft (61 m) deep 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 Ashley Lake?

Anglers target kokanee, yellow perch, cutthroat trout on Ashley Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Ashley Lake?

Sharp break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 29 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Ashley Lake?

For kokanee, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Ashley Lake?

Fishing on Ashley Lake is regulated by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Check the official Montana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Little Bitterroot Lake 7 mi · Rogers Lake 9 mi · Foy Lake 13 mi · Sylvia Lake 13 mi · Tally Lake 14 mi · Mcgregor Lake 16 mi · Island Lake 16 mi · Bootjack Lake (Flathead) 16 mi · Spencer Lake 17 mi · Blanchard Lake 18 mi · Skyles Lake 18 mi · Murray Lake 18 mi

See how Ashley Lake stacks up: best yellow perch lakes in Montana · best kokanee lakes in Montana · best cutthroat trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Flathead County fishing maps (55 charts). Browse all Montana fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.