Ashley Lake is a reservoir in Montana, near Flathead County.
Stocking records show that the following fish or strains were stocked here. A historical stocking does not by itself prove that a self-sustaining population remains today.
Ashley Lake is a reservoir in Flathead County, Montana.
Use the shape you can see at Ashley Lake: check the best cover, the first drop, and one open-water line before moving.
Ashley Lake is a clear, irregular lake west of Kalispell with kokanee, cutthroat hybrids, and yellow perch. Islands, points, and deep open water create more choices than its mountain setting first suggests.
Troll small lures above kokanee, cast spoons or flies for trout near breaks, and use small jigs close to bottom for perch.
The water is unusually blue and clear, so long casts, lighter line, and natural colors can matter. Its many arms and islands break the wind and create small fishing zones within one lake.
Give kokanee salmon and yellow perch separate passes at Ashley Lake when they use different water. Across the steep side of a steep shoreline, a lure set for one target should not be dragged through every point, weed edge, and stretch of open water.
Along the gravel lip of a wooded bank, after two bites, note the wind, water color, depth, and bottom. Use that short pattern on the next matching feature instead of starting over on the far side of Ashley Lake.
Along the steep side of a windblown shore, before making a long move, change lure depth or speed once near the best spot. This quick test can show whether fish simply moved a few feet or that part of Ashley Lake has gone quiet.
Fish listed for Ashley Lake include Cutbow Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Longnose Sucker, Northern Pikeminnow, Pygmy Whitefish, Redside Shiner, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Westslope-Yellowstone-Rainbow Trout Hybrid, and Yellow Perch.
Beside the gravel lip of a creek mouth, keep a small jig tipped with a worm or minnow close to bottom on a shelf for yellow perch.
Across the steep side of a deep bend, do not let the deepest number control the whole day; nearby cover, firm bottom, and food usually matter more than the deepest hole by itself.
Across the darker edge of a flooded tree line, in spring, start with warming banks, creek mouths, and shallow cover; summer usually pushes the better bite toward the outside weed edge or a nearby drop; fall can bring bait back to windblown points, while winter calls for smaller moves and a slower pace.
Across the gravel lip of a protected bank, a light spinning rod, thin line, a few small spoons, inline spinners, and jigs cover the listed trout; carry one slightly heavier setup when other fish or windy water call for more control.
Along the lower edge of a weed bed, record the wind, water color, depth where fish were holding, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce.
Beside the clearer side of a small island, keep the first hour simple: use one moving bait to find active fish, slow down with a jig or natural bait on the best edge, and repeat the same setup when two bites come from matching depth and bottom during that part of the trip.
The main difference is this: Ashley Lake is a clear, irregular lake west of Kalispell with kokanee, cutthroat hybrids, and yellow perch.
A good first plan is simple: troll small lures above kokanee, cast spoons or flies for trout near breaks, and use small jigs close to bottom for perch.
Watch this closely: The water is unusually blue and clear, so long casts, lighter line, and natural colors can matter.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.