Lake Alva 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 Lake Alva

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 Lake Alva on the board.

Fishing Lake Alva: what the data says

333-acre lake in Missoula County, Montana. The lake tops out around 90 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

Kokanee fishing at Lake Alva

Come spring, look for kokanee tight to the bank in 10 to 30 ft. They move out to 30 to 70 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 90 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning. A dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	10 to 30 ft	dawn	Deep basin (90 ft)	Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn
Summer	30 to 70 ft	dawn	Break off the point (65 ft)	Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn
Fall	5 to 40 ft	dawn	open water	Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon
Winter	20 to 80 ft	dawn	Deep basin (90 ft)	Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon

Brook Trout fishing at Lake Alva

Come spring, look for brook trout tight to the bank in 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 1 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Lake Whitefish fishing at Lake Alva

In spring, lake whitefish run shallow here, mostly 15 to 45 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 40 to 90 ft before dropping to 25 to 70 ft for winter. Summer lake whitefish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 90 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	15 to 45 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	40 to 90 ft	dawn	Deep basin (90 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	open water	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	25 to 70 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (65 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Alva

In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 1 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.

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	Deep basin (90 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	12 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (90 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (90 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Northern Pike fishing at Lake Alva

Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a feeding flat near 1 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (65 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (1 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Lake Alva

The spring pattern is a shallow one: cutthroat trout in 3 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 35 ft, wintering in 10 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 1 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner gets it done.

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	Main-lake point (1 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	Main-lake point (1 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Lake Alva also holds pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), rainbow trout (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

The chart marks 6 structure features on Lake Alva; the deepest is Deep basin at about 90 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 90 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 65 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

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.

Lake Alva 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 Lake Alva specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Alva?

Lake Alva is about 90 ft (27 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 Lake Alva?

Anglers target kokanee, brook trout, lake whitefish, yellow perch, northern pike, cutthroat trout, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout on Lake Alva.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Alva?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 90 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Lake Alva?

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 Lake Alva?

Fishing on Lake Alva 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

Rainy Lake 2 mi · Lake Inez 2 mi · Lake Marshall 4 mi · Summit Lake (Missoula) 5 mi · Colt Lake 5 mi · Clearwater Lake 5 mi · Morrell Lake 6 mi · Pierce Lake 6 mi · Lake Elsina 7 mi · Lick Lake (Missoula) 8 mi · Lindbergh Lake 8 mi · South Meadow Lake 9 mi

See how Lake Alva stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Montana · best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch lakes in Montana · best brook trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Missoula County fishing maps (37 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.