Fishing in Cascade County, Montana
County seat: Great Falls. Census 2020 residents: 84,414.
- 2lake pages
- 8ramps
- 4river pages
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Cascade County water by the FWP numbers
Cascade County runs its courthouse out of Great Falls, and the 2020 Census tallied 84,414 residents. Census Gazetteer mapping gives it 2,698 square miles of land and 13.2 square miles of water. Of the 2 lakes and reservoirs given pages in the county, Wadsworth Lake spreads widest. Wading anglers can open Missouri River, Smith River and Sun River.
County totals from FWP: 8 ramps and 12 other fishing sites without a ramp. 25,589 fish went into 2 waters of the county in 2026, per 14 plant rows. The book breaks from the district chart on 3 waters here.
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.
FWP access points and lakes laid out across Cascade 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.
Montana reservoirs worth fishing in Cascade County
| Lake | Size | Access sites | Kind | MFISH lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wadsworth Lake | about 43 acres of mapped outline | 0 | natural lake | largemouth bass, rainbow trout, walleye |
| Hound Creek Reservoir | about 23 acres of mapped outline | 0 | reservoir | brook trout, rainbow trout, Westslope cutthroat trout |
The nearest lake pages to Great Falls all lie outside Cascade County.
| Lake | From Great Falls | Size | Access sites | Kind | MFISH lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freezeout Lake | 37 miles west | 2,596 acres | 0 | natural lake | common carp, rainbow trout, yellow perch |
| Kolar Reservoir 2 | 41 miles east | about 14 acres of mapped outline | 0 | reservoir | largemouth bass, rainbow trout, Westslope cutthroat trout |
| Priest Butte Lake | 42 miles northwest | 476 acres | 0 | natural lake | common carp, yellow perch |
| Lower Eyraud Lake | 48 miles northwest | 175 acres | 1 | natural lake | northern pike, yellow perch |
| Holter Reservoir | 50 miles southwest | 3,667 acres | 0 | reservoir | brown trout, burbot, kokanee salmon |
| Willow Creek Reservoir (Lewis and Clark County) | 54 miles west | 1,314 acres | 1 | reservoir | rainbow trout |
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.
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Lake lists inside 60 miles of Great Falls mention rainbow trout most often.
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.
Creeks winding through Cascade County
- Missouri Riverexception rules, 27 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
- Smith Riverexception rules, 3 access sites, 3 USGS gauges
- Sun River3 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
- Dearborn Riverexception rules, 1 USGS gauge
Streamflow numbers recorded in Cascade County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri River At Cascade Mt | 3,430 cfs, 6.69 ft gage height | Nov 14 2:30 pm |
| Missouri River Near Ulm Mt | 3,450 cfs, 3.10 ft gage height | Nov 14 2:30 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 14, 2026 3:33 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
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.
Public ramps in Cascade County
- Big Bend Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 17 acres; Cascade County
- Mid Canon Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, ramp (gravel), gravel surface, 9 acres; Cascade County
- Mountain Palace Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 3 acres; Cascade County
- Pelican Point Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 94 acres; Cascade County
- Prewett Creek Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 2 acres; Cascade County
- Ulm Bridge Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 171 acres; Cascade County
- Giant Springs Boat Launch Areastate park boat ramp; Cascade County
- Smith River Improved/Eden Bridge Take-out Boat Rampstate park boat ramp; Cascade County
Walk-in river access across Cascade County
- Devils Kitchen Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, hand launch, 1 acres; Cascade County
- Fort Shaw Fishing Access Site on Sun Riverfishing access site, hand launch, 3 acres; Cascade County
- Hardy Bridge Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, hand launch, 1 acres; Cascade County
- Largent's Bend Fishing Access Site on Sun Riverfishing access site, no boat facilities, 169 acres; Cascade County
- Medicine River Fishing Access Site on Sun Riverfishing access site, hand launch, 11 acres; Cascade County
- Cottonwood Grove Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, no boat facilities, 4 acres; Cascade County
- Dunes Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, hand launch, 61 acres; Cascade County
- Little Muddy Creek Fishing Access Sitefishing access site, no boat facilities; Cascade County
- Lower Smith River Fishing Access Sitefishing access site, no boat facilities, 4 acres; Cascade County
- Truly Bridge Fishing Access Site on Smith Riverfishing access site, no boat facilities; Cascade County
- White Bear Fishing Access Sitefishing access site, no boat facilities, 41 acres; Cascade County
- Wing Dam Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, no boat facilities, 25 acres; Cascade County
FWP Fishing Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service) and the FishMT site pages, read November 12, 2026.
Other named Montana lakes of Cascade County, one line apiece
- Morony Reservoirabout 310 acres of mapped outline
- Cochrane Reservoirabout 219 acres of mapped outline
- Rainbow Dam Reservoirabout 179 acres of mapped outline
- Ryan Reservoirabout 152 acres of mapped outline
- Largent Bend Pond # 3about 21 acres of mapped outline
- Benton Lakeabout 1,902 acres of mapped outline
- Black Horse Lakeabout 412 acres of mapped outline
- Rocky Reef Reservoirabout 226 acres of mapped outline
- Schrammeck Lakeabout 203 acres of mapped outline
- Gollaher Reservoirabout 38 acres of mapped outline
- Middle Creek Lakeabout 38 acres of mapped outline
- Horseshoe Lakeabout 35 acres of mapped outline
- Pelican Point #1about 23 acres of mapped outline
- Cannon Lakeabout 20 acres of mapped outline
- Borgstrom Reservoirabout 17 acres of mapped outline
- Gondeiro Pondabout 16 acres of mapped outline
- Tintinger Sloughabout 13 acres of mapped outline
- Skinnner Reservoirabout 10 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.
Where the regulation book breaks from the district chart in Cascade County
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.
- Dearborn RiverOpen third Saturday in May through Nov. 30. (DEARBORN RIVER)
- Missouri RiverNorthern pike: no limit. (MISSOURI RIVER)
- Smith RiverOpen third Saturday in May to Nov. 30. (SMITH RIVER)
2026 Montana Fishing Regulations (valid March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027; FWP PDF), read November 12, 2026.
Fish delivered to Cascade County waters, per FWP
| Date | Water as FishMT prints it | Fish | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 18, 2026 | Rainbow Dam Reservoir | 3,600 | Rainbow trout |
| September 9, 2026 | Wadsworth Lake | 2,500 | Rainbow trout |
| August 26, 2026 | Rainbow Dam Reservoir | 883 | Rainbow trout |
| August 25, 2026 | Rainbow Dam Reservoir | 640 | Rainbow trout |
| August 13, 2026 | Rainbow Dam Reservoir | 1,466 | Rainbow trout |
| August 12, 2026 | Wadsworth Lake | 5,500 | Largemouth bass |
| July 28, 2026 | Rainbow Dam Reservoir | 1,000 | Rainbow trout |
| July 10, 2026 | Rainbow Dam Reservoir | 1,200 | Rainbow trout |
| July 8, 2026 | Wadsworth Lake | 2,000 | Yellow perch |
| June 18, 2026 | Rainbow Dam Reservoir | 2,000 | Rainbow trout |
FWP FishMT stocking report for 2026, year to date (FishMT plant report), read November 12, 2026.
FWP state records tied to Cascade County water
| 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 |
Montana state record fish as FWP lists them (records page), read November 12, 2026.
Montana tackle shops and guides in Cascade County
Where to buy flies and jigs near Cascade County
- Mystic Watersbait and tackle shop, Great Falls
- Scheels, 1200 10th Ave S Ste 92bait and tackle shop, Great Falls
Montana guide services that fish Cascade County
- Bloom Outfittingfishing guide, Cascade
- Dave Hettinger Outfittingfishing guide, Fort Shaw
- Missouri Riverside Outfitters & Lodgefishing guide, Cascade, (406) 468-9385
- Montana River Outfittersfishing guide, Great Falls
Yellow Pages, State Parks and operator listings (city of business), read November 12, 2026. Guides are listed as businesses; no licence status is implied.
Minutes from Cascade County on Montana roads
Montana home bases for fishing Cascade County
- Great Falls2020 count 60,442
- Malmstrom AFB2020 count 4,131
The Montana counties around Cascade County
- Lewis and Clark County50 miles west
- Judith Basin County53 miles east
- Meagher County54 miles south
- Teton County56 miles northwest
Piscifun rods, reels and pliers worth a look before Montana water at Cascade County
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Early light on the water near Cascade County, Big Sky style
Photo: Miroslav Volek, CC BY 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Shawn Michael, CC BY 2.0
Short Big Sky replies about fishing Cascade County
Can a Montana drift boat or kayak go in the water in Cascade County?
FWP and State Parks list 8 ramps, named above with directions.
Which lake tops the Montana size figures for Cascade County?
Wadsworth Lake, at about 43 acres of mapped outline.
Which fish does MFISH list near Cascade County?
MFISH names rainbow trout on the most lake pages within 60 miles, then yellow perch, brook trout and common carp; the layer shows presence, not a catch.
Is a Montana tackle shop listed in Cascade County?
2 in all, including Mystic Waters.
Which town is the seat for Cascade County?
County offices sit in Great Falls.
How much does FWP charge to fish in Cascade County?
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 next to Cascade County?
By center point: Lewis and Clark County, Judith Basin County and Meagher County.
What do the limits look like for Cascade County water?
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.
Do any Cascade County waters have their own rules?
3 waters with a page here carry their own exception lines, beginning with Dearborn River.
Does FWP stock fish in Cascade County?
The 2026 plant report lists 25,589 fish in 14 rows across 2 waters in the county.
Has Montana's Cascade County produced a state record?
Cisco, 2.08 lbs., from Missouri River (2014).
Pick a Montana lake or creek in Cascade County
Open a lake for its ramps, limits and readings.