Skyles Lake 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 Skyles Lake

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 Skyles Lake on the board.

Fishing Skyles Lake: what the data says

34-acre lake in Flathead County, Montana. The lake tops out around 15 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

Drawn out, this is 44 acres of water rimmed by 1.1 miles of bank. A shoreline index of 1.2 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. The basin spans about 0.4 mi end to end and 0.3 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Flathead County. The nearest mapped water is Spencer Lake, 1 mi to the southwest.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Skyles Lake

In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 5 to 15 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	5 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (13 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Break off the point (13 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Yellow Perch fishing at Skyles Lake

Spring yellow perch on Skyles Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank
Summer	5 to 15 ft	dawn	Deep basin (15 ft)	Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm
Fall	5 to 15 ft	midday	Deep basin (15 ft)	Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (15 ft)	Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small)

Northern Pike fishing at Skyles Lake

Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 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 (4 ft)	#5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white)
Summer	5 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage
Fall	5 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (13 ft)	Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait
Winter	5 to 15 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Skyles Lake

Early season cutthroat trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 15 ft. Even in summer they hold at 4 to 15 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 15 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 13 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (13 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	4 to 15 ft	dawn	Break off the point (13 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Pumpkinseed fishing at Skyles Lake

When the water first warms, pumpkinseed slide up into 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 10 ft game here, winter a 5 to 15 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 8 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin
Summer	2 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly)
Fall	4 to 14 ft	dusk & dawn	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	5 to 15 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (4 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 15 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 15 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 13 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Skyles Lake — carry-in

Access data: Montana FWP — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

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

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Skyles Lake?

Skyles Lake is about 15 ft (5 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 Skyles Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike, cutthroat trout, pumpkinseed on Skyles Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Skyles Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Skyles Lake?

For largemouth bass, 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Skyles Lake?

Fishing on Skyles Lake 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

Spencer Lake 1 mi · Beaver Lake 2 mi · Blanchard Lake 2 mi · Little Beaver Lake 3 mi · Whitefish Lake 3 mi · Murray Lake 3 mi · Woods Lake 3 mi · Bootjack Lake (Flathead) 4 mi · Tally Lake 7 mi · Lower Stillwater Lake 11 mi · Bailey Lake 13 mi · Upper Martin Lake 15 mi

See how Skyles Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Montana · best northern pike lakes in Montana · best yellow perch lakes in Montana · best cutthroat trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Flathead County fishing maps (55 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.