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Fishing Half Moon Slough: what the data says
123-acre lake near Montana. The lake tops out around 21 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.
Northern Pike fishing at Half Moon Slough
Spring northern pike on Half Moon Slough hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Half Moon Slough
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 21 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Half Moon Slough
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 6 to 21 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 8 ft that scores prime in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Half Moon Slough?
Half Moon Slough is about 21 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 Half Moon Slough?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch on Half Moon Slough.
Where is the best fishing spot on Half Moon Slough?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Half Moon Slough?
For northern pike, 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
Foy Lake · Cabin Lake · Peterson Lake · Mccaffery Lake · Abbot Lake · Echo Lake (Flathead)
See how Half Moon Slough stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana · best yellow perch 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.