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Fishing Lake Alva: what the data says
333-acre lake near 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Kokanee fishing at Lake Alva
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 89 ft, rated prime for winter kokanee. Best bite is early morning. 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 | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Brook Trout fishing at Lake Alva
Spring brook trout on Lake Alva 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 9 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 Lake Alva
Spring lake whitefish on Lake Alva hold shallow, usually 15 to 45 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 40 to 90 ft, and winter fish settle into 25 to 70 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 89 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish 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 | 15 to 45 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small) |
| Summer | 40 to 90 ft | dawn | Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva |
| Winter | 25 to 70 ft | midday & dawn | Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie |
Yellow Perch fishing at Lake Alva
Spring yellow perch on Lake Alva hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Lake Alva
Spring northern pike on Lake Alva hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for summer northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Lake Alva
Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 9 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | 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
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 89 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 67 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 24 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 17 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 17 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 12 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 9 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Alva?
Lake Alva is about 90 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 Lake Alva?
Anglers target northern pike, rainbow trout, yellow perch, brook trout, kokanee, lake whitefish, cutthroat trout, pumpkinseed on Lake Alva.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Alva?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 89 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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.
Nearby waters
Rainy Lake · Lake Inez · Lake Marshall · Clearwater Lake · Summit Lake (Missoula) · Pierce Lake
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
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.