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148-acre lake near North Yorkshire. The lake tops out around 12 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
On the chart, Malham Tarn draws 148 acres inside 2.4 miles of shoreline. Its 1.4 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.7 mi with a 0.6-mi widest point. You'll find it in North Yorkshire. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Scar House Reservoir, 12 mi northeast of here.
Early season brown trout use the shallows, holding in 1 to 12 ft. Even in summer they hold at 4 to 12 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 12 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 5 ft that grades prime for 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.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Spring puts european perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. Spring european perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small crankbait (perch pattern) covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner #1-2 |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 33 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 33 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 12 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring 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.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Malham Tarn carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 10 ft down.
Malham Tarn is about 12 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target brown trout, european perch, northern pike on Malham Tarn. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for european perch in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Scar House Reservoir 12 mi · Stocks Reservoir 12 mi · Semer Water 13 mi · Gouthwaite Reservoir 15 mi · Widdop Reservoir 21 mi · Wyresdale Park Lake 26 mi · Hawes Water, Silverdale 26 mi · Whinfell Tarn 28 mi · Sunbiggin Tarn 29 mi · White Holme Reservoir 29 mi · Balderhead Reservoir 32 mi · Selset Reservoir 34 mi
See how Malham Tarn stacks up: best northern pike lakes in United Kingdom · best european perch lakes in United Kingdom · best brown trout lakes in United Kingdom
More water nearby: North Yorkshire fishing maps (5 charts). Browse all United Kingdom fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. 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.