Fishing in Blaine County, Montana
County seat: Chinook. Census 2020 residents: 7,044.
- 1lake pages
- 0ramps
- 2river pages
Pick for rainbow troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Missouri River: Bureau of Land Management Montana and Dakotas, Public domain
Fishing Blaine County in brief
Chinook is where Blaine County keeps its offices; the county had 7,044 residents in 2020. Its Gazetteer footprint is 4,228 square miles of land and 11.2 square miles of water. By acreage or outline, Faber Reservoir tops the 1 lake or reservoir with pages. Stream pages for the county: Missouri River and Milk River.
FWP and State Parks together place 0 ramps and 1 other fishing site in the county. FWP's 2026 plant report lists 4 rows in the county, 16,200 fish across 2 waters. 1 water here carry their own exception lines in the 2026 book.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (TIGERweb) and the 2023 Gazetteer, read November 12, 2026. FWP Fishing Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service) and the FishMT site pages, read November 12, 2026.
A map of the boat ramps and banks of Blaine County
FWP Fishing Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service) and the FishMT site pages, read November 12, 2026. Lake pins are the FWP reference point for each water.
Choosing among the Montana lakes of Blaine County
| Lake | Size | Access sites | Kind | MFISH lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faber Reservoir | 17 acres | 1 | reservoir | rainbow trout |
Measured from Chinook, these are the closest lake pages outside Blaine County.
| Lake | From Chinook | Size | Access sites | Kind | MFISH lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Creek Reservoir | 26 miles southwest | about 179 acres of mapped outline | 0 | reservoir | northern pike, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass |
| Bearpaw Lake | 27 miles southwest | 48 acres | 1 | natural lake | brook trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass |
| Fresno Reservoir | 35 miles west | 3,185 acres | 0 | reservoir | black crappie, lake whitefish, northern pike |
| Bailey Reservoir | 41 miles west | 85 acres | 1 | reservoir | black crappie, northern pike, walleye |
| Wild Horse Reservoir | 57 miles southeast | 217 acres | 0 | reservoir | common carp, northern pike, yellow perch |
| Nelson Reservoir (Phillips County, about 4,114 acres) | 78 miles east | 4,115 acres | 0 | reservoir | black crappie, burbot, channel catfish |
Size as the FWP FishMT page for this water prints it (FishMT), read November 12, 2026. Waters with no FishMT size print their mapped outline instead. Montana FWP Lakes reference layer (ArcGIS service) and the MFISH fish distribution layers, read November 12, 2026.
For the rainbow trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Which fish MFISH lists across Blaine County waters
The count covers MFISH lists on lakes within 60 miles of Chinook, with rainbow trout in front.
FWP MFISH presence layers, counted per lake page within 60 miles; presence in a layer, not a catch survey. FWP MFISH fish distribution layer (ArcGIS service), read November 12, 2026. Presence is mapping data, not a catch report.
Montana rivers and creeks running through Blaine County
- Missouri Riverexception rules, 27 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
- Milk River3 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
How Blaine County rivers are running, by gauge
USGS has no current reading for these gauges.
Montana FWP MFISH stream layers (ArcGIS service) for this river, read November 12, 2026. USGS Water Data for the Nation, live through the site, retrieved on page view.
Bank spots within Blaine County
- Faber Reservoir Fishing Access Sitefishing access site, no boat facilities, 33 acres; Blaine County
FWP Fishing Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service) and the FishMT site pages, read November 12, 2026.
The short list: minor lakes inside Blaine County
- Dry Fork Reservoir (Blaine County)about 146 acres of mapped outline
- Lake Seventeenabout 522 acres of mapped outline
- North Chinook Reservoirabout 520 acres of mapped outline
- Putnam Lakeabout 418 acres of mapped outline
- Alkali Lakeabout 276 acres of mapped outline
- McLaren Reservoirabout 190 acres of mapped outline
- Black Couleeabout 168 acres of mapped outline
- Bigby Lakeabout 144 acres of mapped outline
- Threemile Reservoirabout 128 acres of mapped outline
- Tule Lakeabout 122 acres of mapped outline
- J Lakeabout 94 acres of mapped outline
- Cow Creek Reservoirabout 86 acres of mapped outline
- Skinners Lakeabout 72 acres of mapped outline
- Br 012 Reservoirabout 68 acres of mapped outline
- Silver Bow Lakeabout 61 acres of mapped outline
- Staff Reservoirabout 52 acres of mapped outline
- Anita Reservoirabout 45 acres of mapped outline
- T U Reservoirabout 42 acres of mapped outline
- Newhouse Reservoirabout 41 acres of mapped outline
- Harbolt Reservoirabout 37 acres of mapped outline
- Twin Reservoirabout 31 acres of mapped outline
- Holm Reservoirabout 28 acres of mapped outline
- Fifteen Mile Lakeabout 25 acres of mapped outline
- Reser Reservoirabout 24 acres of mapped outline
- Grasshopper Reservoirabout 23 acres of mapped outline
- Lyons Reservoirabout 23 acres of mapped outline
- Thirtymile Reservoirabout 23 acres of mapped outline
- Mud Lakeabout 21 acres of mapped outline
- Duck Lakeabout 21 acres of mapped outline
- Hornbeck Lakeabout 21 acres of mapped outline
- Ross Lakeabout 20 acres of mapped outline
- Anderson Reservoirabout 18 acres of mapped outline
- Childrens Pondabout 18 acres of mapped outline
- H.C. Kuhr Reservoirabout 18 acres of mapped outline
- Old Woman Lakeabout 18 acres of mapped outline
- Br 003 Reservoirabout 18 acres of mapped outline
- Galbraith Reservoirabout 15 acres of mapped outline
- Fr Reservoirabout 15 acres of mapped outline
- BR 045 Reservoirabout 14 acres of mapped outline
- Blanch Reservoirabout 14 acres of mapped outline
Outline area from the FWP Lakes reference layer (ArcGIS service; mapped polygon area, not an FWP surface-acre figure), read November 12, 2026. Names come from the FWP Lakes reference layer; no page and no fish list for these waters.
Exception lines printed for Blaine County lakes and streams
The rules here are from the 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations, valid March 1, 2026 through the end of February 2027; FWP had published no 2027 booklet when this was checked.
- Missouri RiverNorthern pike: no limit. (MISSOURI RIVER)
2026 Montana Fishing Regulations (valid March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027; FWP PDF), read November 12, 2026.
Hatchery fish released in Blaine County this year
| Date | Water as FishMT prints it | Fish | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2, 2026 | Faber Reservoir | 2,700 | Rainbow trout |
| May 7, 2026 | Faber Reservoir | 10,000 | Rainbow trout |
| May 6, 2026 | Milk River (Lower Milk River, Upper Milk River, Middle Milk River) | 1,102 | Rainbow trout |
| May 6, 2026 | Milk River (Lower Milk River, Upper Milk River, Middle Milk River) | 2,398 | Rainbow trout |
FWP FishMT stocking report for 2026, year to date (FishMT plant report), read November 12, 2026.
Record-book entries from Blaine County
| Species | Weight or length as listed | Water | Year | Marked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco | 2.08 lbs. | Missouri River | 2014 | not marked native |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | 14.125 lbs. | Missouri River | 2010 | native |
| Stonecat | 0.54 lbs. | Milk River | 1996 | native |
Montana state record fish as FWP lists them (records page), read November 12, 2026.
Derby and club days around Blaine County
| Date | Event | Water | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 6, 2026 | 27th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic | Milk River | Montana Catfish Association |
Event as listed by the organizer (source), read November 12, 2026.
Grouped near Blaine County on the Montana map
Montana lodging towns across Blaine County
- Chinook2020 count 1,185
Montana counties next to Blaine County
- Phillips County49 miles east
- Hill County54 miles west
- Chouteau County77 miles southwest
- Fergus County84 miles south
Piscifun kit to stow in the truck for Montana time at Blaine County
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Blue-ribbon creeks, canyon lakes and wide rivers around Blaine County, pictured
Photo: Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Miroslav Volek, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
The questions Blaine County anglers trade over coffee
How many boat ramps does Blaine County have in the FWP data?
The state access data show none here.
Which water in Blaine County has the biggest size figure?
That is Faber Reservoir, listed at 17 acres.
Which fish lead the MFISH lists near Blaine County?
MFISH names rainbow trout on the most lake pages within 60 miles, then northern pike, walleye and yellow perch; the layer shows presence, not a catch.
Does Blaine County have a marina or bait counter?
None inside the county; the list above holds the closest.
From which town does Blaine County govern?
Chinook.
Which licenses should Blaine County anglers carry?
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 counties lie closest to Blaine County?
Phillips County, Hill County and Chouteau County sit nearest.
How many fish may I keep in Blaine County?
Limits depend on the FWP fishing district and on any exception heading printed for the water; the Western, Central and Eastern district pages on this site give the charts. The rules here are from the 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations, valid March 1, 2026 through the end of February 2027; FWP had published no 2027 booklet when this was checked.
Where do the Montana limits change in Blaine County?
1 water with a page here carry their own exception lines, beginning with Missouri River.
Which Montana waters in Blaine County get hatchery fish?
The 2026 plant report lists 16,200 fish in 4 rows across 2 waters in the county.
Is a Montana tournament coming to Blaine County?
1 entry on file, none dated ahead.
Has a Montana state record fish come from Blaine County?
Cisco, 2.08 lbs., from Missouri River (2014).
Hitch the boat for Treasure State water in Blaine County
Check a water's exception heading before keeping fish.