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22-acre lake in Carbon County, Montana. The lake tops out around 40 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 20 acres of water rimmed by 1.2 miles of bank. Index 1.8 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. 36% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 0.5 mi long. You'll find it in Carbon County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Crow Lake, 1 mi southeast of here.
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (17 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (17 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Sylvan Lake carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 37 ft down.
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 Sylvan Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Sylvan Lake is about 40 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target rainbow trout on Sylvan Lake.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For rainbow trout, 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.
Fishing on Sylvan 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.
Crow Lake 1 mi · East Rosebud Lake 3 mi · Dude Lake 4 mi · Ship Lake 5 mi · Timberline Lake 5 mi · Rimrock Lake 6 mi · Rainbow Lake (Carbon) 6 mi · September Morn Lake 7 mi · Phantom Lake 7 mi · Summit Lake (Carbon) 7 mi · First Rock Lake 7 mi · Lake At Falls 7 mi
See how Sylvan Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana
More water nearby: Carbon County fishing maps (65 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.