Fishing in Custer County, Montana
County seat: Miles City. Census 2020 residents: 11,867.
- 1lake pages
- 3ramps
- 3river pages
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Fishing Custer County in brief
Miles City is where Custer County keeps its offices; the county had 11,867 residents in 2020. Its Gazetteer footprint is 3,783 square miles of land and 9.9 square miles of water. By acreage or outline, Spotted Eagle Lake tops the 1 lake or reservoir with pages. Stream pages for the county: Yellowstone River, Powder River and Tongue River.
FWP and State Parks together place 3 ramps and 1 other fishing site in the county. FWP's 2026 plant report lists 4 rows in the county, 4,005 fish across 2 waters. 3 waters 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 Custer 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 Custer County
| Lake | Size | Access sites | Kind | MFISH lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotted Eagle Lake | about 25 acres of mapped outline | 0 | natural lake | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill |
Measured from Miles City, these are the closest lake pages outside Custer County.
| Lake | From Miles City | Size | Access sites | Kind | MFISH lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock Reservoir | 52 miles southwest | 155 acres | 0 | reservoir | bluegill, smallmouth bass, walleye |
| South Sandstone Reservoir | 65 miles east | 114 acres | 1 | reservoir | black crappie, northern pike, smallmouth bass |
| Johnson Reservoir | 72 miles northeast | 31 acres | 1 | reservoir | yellow perch |
| Larson Reservoir | 86 miles southeast | 289 acres | 0 | reservoir | rainbow trout |
| Arapooish Pond | 94 miles southwest | about 29 acres of mapped outline | 0 | pond | black bullhead, green sunfish, largemouth bass |
| Tongue River Reservoir | 101 miles southwest | 2,112 acres | 0 | reservoir | black crappie, channel catfish, northern pike |
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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The count covers MFISH lists on lakes within 120 miles of Miles City, with northern pike in front.
FWP MFISH presence layers, counted per lake page within 120 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 Custer County
- Yellowstone Riverexception rules, 47 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
- Powder River1 access site, 2 USGS gauges
- Tongue Riverexception rules, 1 access site, 4 USGS gauges
How Custer County rivers are running, by gauge
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Tongue River At Miles City, Mt | 118 cfs, 1.72 ft gage height | Nov 14 2:00 pm |
| Yellowstone River At Miles City, Mt | 5,180 cfs, 3.04 ft gage height | Nov 14 3:00 pm |
| Powder River Near Locate Mt | 85 cfs, 0.78 ft gage height | Nov 14 3:00 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.
Montana boat launches inside Custer County
- Bonfield Fishing Access Site on Yellowstone Riverfishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 56 acres; Custer County
- Roche Jaune Fishing Access Site on Yellowstone Riverfishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface; Custer County
- Kinsey Bridge Fishing Access Sitefishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 28 acres; Custer County
Bank spots within Custer County
- Twelve Mile Dam Fishing Access Site on Tongue Riverfishing access site, no boat facilities, 27 acres; Custer County
FWP Fishing Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service) and the FishMT site pages, read November 12, 2026.
The short list: minor lakes inside Custer County
- Haughian Bass Pondabout 53 acres of mapped outline
- Noble Reservoirabout 38 acres of mapped outline
- Physic Creek Reservoirabout 35 acres of mapped outline
- White House Damabout 29 acres of mapped outline
- Jones Reservoirabout 25 acres of mapped outline
- Jones Pondabout 24 acres of mapped outline
- Beardsley Lakeabout 21 acres of mapped outline
- Branum Lakeabout 15 acres of mapped outline
- Love Reservoirabout 13 acres of mapped outline
- Drange Pondabout 13 acres of mapped outline
- Witcher Reservoirabout 13 acres of mapped outline
- Hamlick Reservoirabout 12 acres of mapped outline
- Custer Rod and Gun Club Pondabout 12 acres of mapped outline
- Shoemaker Reservoirabout 12 acres of mapped outline
- Patterson Reservoir 8about 11 acres of mapped outline
- Miles City Hatchery Pondabout 11 acres of mapped outline
- Haughian Pike Pondabout 11 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 Custer 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.
- Spotted Eagle Lake5 daily and in possession, any combination of species. (SPOTTED EAGLE POND (Miles City))
- Tongue RiverFish species allowed for use as live bait are: fathead minnow, flathead chub, longnose dace, lake chub, creek chub, white sucker, and longnose sucker. (TONGUE RIVER)
- Yellowstone RiverCatch-and-release for cutthroat trout. (YELLOWSTONE RIVER)
2026 Montana Fishing Regulations (valid March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027; FWP PDF), read November 12, 2026.
Hatchery fish released in Custer County this year
| Date | Water as FishMT prints it | Fish | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2026 | Spotted Eagle Lake (; Speckled Bird) | 505 | Rainbow trout |
| June 15, 2026 | Spotted Eagle Lake (; Speckled Bird) | 500 | Northern pike |
| June 4, 2026 | Spotted Eagle Lake (; Speckled Bird) | 1,000 | Rainbow trout |
| June 3, 2026 | Tongue River | 2,000 | Rainbow trout |
FWP FishMT stocking report for 2026, year to date (FishMT plant report), read November 12, 2026.
Record-book entries from Custer County
| Species | Weight or length as listed | Water | Year | Marked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River carpsucker | 7.915 lbs | Yellowstone River | 2022 | native |
| White crappie | 3.68 lbs. | Tongue River | 1996 | not marked native |
Montana state record fish as FWP lists them (records page), read November 12, 2026.
Derby and club days around Custer County
| Date | Event | Water | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 23, 2027 | Spotted Eagle Ice Fishing Contest | Spotted Eagle Lake | Walleyes Unlimited of Montana Miles City Chapter |
| Oct. 17, 2026 | Yellowstone River Rats Walleye Tournament | Yellowstone River and tributaries | Yellowstone River Rats |
| Oct. 3, 2026 | Glendive Walleye Tournament | Yellowstone River | Visit Glendive |
| Sept. 12, 2026 | Yellowstone River Classic | Yellowstone River, Tongue River | Miles City Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited |
| July 18, 2026 | Monster Catfish Roundup | Yellowstone River | Montana Catfish Association |
| June 13, 2026 | Savage Volunteer Fire Dept Catfish Tournament | Yellowstone River | Savage Volunteer Fire Department |
| May 16, 2026 | Land of the Giants Tournament | Yellowstone River and tributaries | Visit Glendive |
| May 9, 2026 | 20th Annual Yellowstone Challenge | Yellowstone River | Montana Catfish Association |
Event as listed by the organizer (source), read November 12, 2026.
Buying flies inside Custer County
Montana outfitters who run trips to Custer County
- Triple T Outfittersfishing guide, Miles City
Yellow Pages, State Parks and operator listings (city of business), read November 12, 2026. Guides are listed as businesses; no licence status is implied.
Grouped near Custer County on the Montana map
Montana lodging towns across Custer County
- Miles City2020 count 8,354
Montana counties next to Custer County
- Prairie County38 miles north
- Rosebud County54 miles west
- Fallon County55 miles east
- Powder River County59 miles south
Piscifun kit to stow in the truck for Montana time at Custer County
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Montana banks and boat docks worth a frame near Custer County
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Montana and Dakotas, Public domain
Photo: Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
The questions Custer County anglers trade over coffee
How many boat ramps does Custer County have in the FWP data?
The access layers list 3 ramps.
Which water in Custer County has the biggest size figure?
That is Spotted Eagle Lake, listed at about 25 acres of mapped outline.
Which fish lead the MFISH lists near Custer County?
MFISH names northern pike on the most lake pages within 120 miles, then largemouth bass, yellow perch and smallmouth bass; the layer shows presence, not a catch.
Does Custer County have a marina or bait counter?
None inside the county; the list above holds the closest.
From which town does Custer County govern?
Miles City.
Which licenses should Custer 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 Custer County?
Prairie County, Rosebud County and Fallon County sit nearest.
How many fish may I keep in Custer 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 Custer County?
3 waters with a page here carry their own exception lines, beginning with Spotted Eagle Lake.
Which Montana waters in Custer County get hatchery fish?
The 2026 plant report lists 4,005 fish in 4 rows across 2 waters in the county.
Is a Montana tournament coming to Custer County?
8 entries on file; the next is Spotted Eagle Ice Fishing Contest on Spotted Eagle Lake, Jan. 23, 2027.
Has a Montana state record fish come from Custer County?
River carpsucker, 7.915 lbs, from Yellowstone River (2022).
Hitch the boat for Treasure State water in Custer County
Check a water's exception heading before keeping fish.