Fishing in Montana
Missouri and Madison trout water, Flathead and Fort Peck, plains reservoirs and mountain lakes, with limits tied to the 2026 Montana regulations.
Search a town, county, lake or bait shop
- 240lakes
- 52rivers
- 163launch pages
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Hungry Horse Reservoir: Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
Montana reservoirs, trout rivers, prairie lakes and high mountain waters
Montana fishing stretches from the Missouri below Holter and Great Falls, the Madison, Gallatin, Bighorn and Big Hole trout rivers, and the Yellowstone out of Paradise Valley, to Flathead Lake in the northwest, the walleye and pike water of Fort Peck Lake and the plains reservoirs of the Hi-Line.
This guide holds 240 lake and reservoir pages, 52 river pages, 163 launch pages, 86 access site pages, 56 county pages and 69 town pages, with every limit tied to the 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Biggest Montana reservoirs and lakes with a page here
Fort Peck Lake
249,240 acres, Fergus County and 5 other counties
Lake pageFlathead Lake
122,885 acres, Flathead and Lake counties
Lake pageCanyon Ferry Lake
33,535 acres, Broadwater and Lewis and Clark counties
Lake pageLake Koocanusa
28,723 acres, Lincoln County
Lake pageHungry Horse Reservoir
23,577 acres, Flathead County
Lake pageTiber Reservoir
14,842 acres, Liberty and Toole counties
Lake pageHebgen Lake
12,564 acres, Gallatin County
Lake pageMedicine Lake (Sheridan County)
8,931 acres, Sheridan County
Lake pageMontana rivers and creeks with live gauges and FWP rule lines
Beaverhead River
Beaverhead and Madison counties
River pageBig Hole River
Beaverhead County and 3 other counties
River pageClark Fork River
Deer Lodge County and 5 other counties
River pageFlathead River
Flathead County and 2 other counties
River pageMadison River
Broadwater County and 2 other counties
River pageMissouri River
Blaine County and 13 other counties
River pageYellowstone River
Carbon County and 11 other counties
River pageBitterroot River
Missoula and Ravalli counties
River pageMontana's three fishing districts and their chart rows
FWP divides Montana into three fishing districts (Western, Central, Eastern); each has standard regulations plus water-specific Exceptions to Standard Regulations, which replace the standard items they list. The districts are FWP's own and may be printed.
- Western District14 chart rows, 120 exception waters
- Central District14 chart rows, 118 exception waters
- Eastern District16 chart rows, 17 exception waters
Price tags on a Montana angling license
- Resident full season: $31 totalConservation License $8, AIS pass $2, fishing license $21
- Nonresident full season: $117.50 totalConservation License $10, AIS pass $7.50, fishing license $100
- Under 12: no licensefull daily limit allowed
- Free weekends: Mother's Day and Father's Day2026 dates: May 9-10, 2026 (Mother’s Day weekend)
Montana fish that anglers must release
All waters are closed to angling for bull trout unless authorized in the Western District Exceptions (Lake Koocanusa, Hungry Horse Reservoir and part of the South Fork Flathead River open with a free Catch Card); see the separate 2026 Bull Trout Regulations.
- Bull troutfederally listed, release required
- Pallid sturgeonfederally listed, release required
Montana bass, walleye and ice fishing contests
28 upcoming events are on the calendar, most on Smith Lake, Canyon Ferry Reservoir and Lake Mary Ronan, all from FWP’s approved list or organizer pages.
- Chancy's Fish Camp Fall Whitefish FestivalOctober 12, 2026, Flathead River
- Perch Assault Smith LakeDecember 19, 2026, Smith Lake
- Sunriser Lions Family Ice Fishing DerbyJanuary 9, 2027, Smith Lake
- Central Montana Perch DerbyJanuary 16, 2027, East Fork Reservoir
- Hope for Ice TournamentJanuary 23, 2027, Noxon Rapids Reservoir
The heaviest fish in the FWP record book
- Paddlefish weighing 142.5 lbs.Missouri River Near Kipp Park
- White sturgeon weighing 96 lbs.Kootenai River
- Pallid sturgeon weighing 60 lbs.Yellowstone River Near Sidney
- Bigmouth buffalo weighing 57.75 lbs.Nelson Reservoir
- Lake trout weighing 42.69 lbs.Flathead Lake
- Common carp weighing 40.2 lbs.Nelson Reservoir
Hired guides, bait counters and gear picks in Montana
- Fishing guides149 listings
- Bait and tackle shops106 shops
- Fly fishing nymph assortments on Amazonfor the Madison, Bighorn and Missouri
- Walleye jig and spinner rigs on Amazonfor Fort Peck and Canyon Ferry
Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Pick a Montana lake, river, county or town
- Lakes and reservoirs240 lakes
- Rivers and creeks52 rivers
- Countiesthe full set of 56
- Towns69 towns
- Species43 fish
- Water levelsCorps readings and USGS gauges
Montana rules, records and directories
- Every Montana fishing page, A to Zreservoirs, streams, counties, towns and fish together
- Montana license prices and district rulesFWP fees, general seasons and the three fishing districts
- Western District standard limitschart rows and every exception water printed there
- Central District standard limitschart rows and every exception water printed there
- Eastern District standard limitschart rows and every exception water printed there
- Montana reservation and national park waterswhere tribal or Park Service rules come on top
- Montana ice fishing conteststhe FWP-approved winter list with dates and waters
- Montana free fishing weekendsMother's Day and Father's Day weekends by law
- Montana state record fishFWP's certified records, weights and lengths
- Montana stocking in 2026the FishMT plant report by water and species
- Montana reservoir levels and stream gaugesUSGS live flow plus dated Corps readings
- Montana boat rampsFWP fishing access sites and state park ramps
- Montana fishing access siteswalk-in, hand launch and bank sites
- Montana bait and tackle shopscounters, fly shops and marinas in four map quadrants
- Montana fishing guideslisted outfitters and guide services with towns and phones
- Montana fishing tournamentsFWP-approved contests and posted results
- Protected fish in Montanabull trout, pallid sturgeon and species of concern
Treasure State fishing questions, briefly answered
What would a Montana angling license set me back?
Anglers 12 and older buy a Conservation License, an aquatic invasive species pass and a fishing license; the 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations prints $8, $2 and $21 for a resident full season and $10, $7.50 and $100 for a nonresident.
Which Montana water on this page has the largest size figure?
Fort Peck Lake, listed at 249,240 acres.
Are there days Montana anglers fish license-free?
Anglers fish free on Mother's Day weekend and Father's Day weekend; this year's were May 9-10, 2026 (Mother’s Day weekend). Children under 12 never need one.
Which Montana regulations apply now?
The 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations, valid March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027.
How many fishing districts does Montana use?
Three, Western, Central and Eastern, each with its own chart rows and a list of exception waters.
Which fish must be released?
All waters are closed to angling for bull trout unless authorized in the Western District Exceptions (Lake Koocanusa, Hungry Horse Reservoir and part of the South Fork Flathead River open with a free Catch Card); see the separate 2026 Bull Trout Regulations.
Do Montana licenses cover reservation waters?
Not everywhere; the south half of Flathead Lake, for one, needs a tribal permit, and the reservation page spells out where rules differ.
Where are Montana tournaments listed?
On the Montana tournaments page, from the FWP approved list and organizer results.