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Fishing Malham Tarn: what the data says
148-acre lake near North Yorkshire. The lake tops out around 12 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Traced from the shoreline, Malham Tarn runs 148 acres with 2.4 miles of edge. Nearly circular (index 1.4), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout.
Brown Trout fishing at Malham Tarn
Early season brown trout use the shallows, holding in 1 to 12 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 4 to 12 ft, winter 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
European Perch fishing at Malham Tarn
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.
| 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 | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small crankbait (perch pattern) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Drop-shot on deep flats |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + maggots, Small balance jig |
Northern Pike fishing at Malham Tarn
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.
| 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 | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (5 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (5 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 10 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Malham Tarn?
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.
What fish are in Malham Tarn?
Anglers target northern pike, european perch, brown trout 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.
Where is the best fishing spot on Malham Tarn?
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.
When is the best time to fish Malham Tarn?
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.
Nearby waters
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
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