Fishing in McCone County, Montana
County seat: Circle. Census 2020 residents: 1,729.
- 2lake pages
- 0ramps
- 1river pages
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McCone County: the Montana short version
County business for McCone County happens in Circle, home county to 1,729 people as of 2020. Gazetteer totals: 2,642 square miles of land and 39.8 square miles of water. 2 lakes and reservoirs have their own page in McCone County, with Fort Peck Lake ahead on size. For a stream day, start with Missouri River.
FishMT's 2026 grid shows 17,091,362 fish stocked in the county over 75 rows and 1 water. Check the exception headings for 2 waters before keeping fish.
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.
Plotting McCone County lakes, launches and walk-in sites
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.
Reservoirs and ponds in McCone County, Montana
| Lake | Size | Access sites | Kind | MFISH lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Peck Lake | 249,240 acres | 1 | natural lake | black crappie, burbot, channel catfish |
| Fort Peck Powerhouse Tailrace | 1,302 acres | 0 | natural lake | burbot, channel catfish, cisco |
With only a handful of paged lakes in McCone County, here are the closest from Circle.
| Lake | From Circle | Size | Access sites | Kind | MFISH lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson Reservoir | 24 miles east | 31 acres | 1 | reservoir | yellow perch |
| Frazer Lake | 48 miles northwest | 310 acres | 0 | natural lake | largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbow trout |
| Fort Peck Dredge Cuts | 59 miles northwest | 542 acres | 1 | natural lake | bluegill, channel catfish, cisco |
| Gartside Reservoir | 62 miles east | 44 acres | 1 | reservoir | black crappie, bluegill, walleye |
| Spotted Eagle Lake | 72 miles south | about 25 acres of mapped outline | 0 | natural lake | black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill |
| Medicine Lake (Sheridan County) | 90 miles northeast | 8,931 acres | 0 | natural lake | 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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Out to 120 miles from Circle, MFISH names northern pike on more lake pages than any other fish.
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.
Streams crossing McCone County
- Missouri Riverexception rules, 27 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
Gauge readings logged within McCone County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson Creek Near Van Norman Mt | 1 cfs, 2.32 ft gage height | Nov 15 4:15 pm |
| Missouri River Near Wolf Point Mt | 7,510 cfs, 10.94 ft gage height | Nov 15 4:00 pm |
| Redwater River At Circle Mt | 0 cfs, 4.12 ft gage height | Nov 15 3:30 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 15, 2026 4:33 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.
FWP layer names for McCone County waters without a write-up
- Hedstrom Lakeabout 144 acres of mapped outline
- O'dell Coulee Reservoirabout 90 acres of mapped outline
- Quick Reservoirabout 50 acres of mapped outline
- Pawlowski Damabout 45 acres of mapped outline
- Hudiburgh Reservoirabout 43 acres of mapped outline
- Waters Reservoirabout 34 acres of mapped outline
- Antelope Creek Reservoirabout 28 acres of mapped outline
- Lisk Creek Reservoirabout 23 acres of mapped outline
- Dreyer Reservoirabout 22 acres of mapped outline
- Beery Reservoirabout 21 acres of mapped outline
- Switzer Reservoirabout 21 acres of mapped outline
- Tveten Reservoirabout 19 acres of mapped outline
- Taylor Reservoirabout 19 acres of mapped outline
- Pawlowski Damabout 19 acres of mapped outline
- Dreyer Reservoirabout 17 acres of mapped outline
- Flat Lakeabout 17 acres of mapped outline
- Kwasney Reservoirabout 16 acres of mapped outline
- John Ball Reservoirabout 16 acres of mapped outline
- Upper O'dell Coulee Reservoirabout 16 acres of mapped outline
- Quick Reservoirabout 13 acres of mapped outline
- Teds Reservoirabout 13 acres of mapped outline
- Game Reservoirabout 12 acres of mapped outline
- Dunn Damabout 12 acres of mapped outline
- McCloys Reservoirabout 12 acres of mapped outline
- Gass Reservoirabout 11 acres of mapped outline
- Breitbach Bros Damabout 11 acres of mapped outline
- Leaky Reservoirabout 11 acres of mapped outline
- Sand Creek Damabout 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.
Montana special rules by water in McCone 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.
- Fort Peck LakeDead cisco can be used as bait. Can only be collected from the Missouri River downstream of Fort Peck Dam (in Montana) or in Fort Peck Reservoir. (FORT PECK RESERVOIR)
- 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.
Where FWP stocked fish in McCone County
| Date | Water as FishMT prints it | Fish | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 4, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake | 2,300 | Walleye |
| July 8, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake | 18,800 | Walleye |
| July 1, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake | 25,300 | Walleye |
| July 1, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake | 51,400 | Walleye |
| June 30, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake | 103,500 | Walleye |
| June 30, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake | 13,250 | Walleye |
| June 30, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake | 64,800 | Walleye |
| June 30, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake | 13,250 | Walleye |
| June 29, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake | 17,400 | Walleye |
| June 26, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake | 160,500 | Walleye |
FWP FishMT stocking report for 2026, year to date (FishMT plant report), read November 12, 2026.
Montana state-record catches around McCone County
| Species | Weight or length as listed | Water | Year | Marked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook salmon | 32.65 lbs. | Fort Peck Lake | 2024 | not marked native |
| Cisco | 2.08 lbs. | Missouri River | 2014 | not marked native |
| Freshwater drum | 21.59 lbs. | Fort Peck Lake | 2003 | native |
| Sauger | 8.805 lbs. | Fort Peck Lake | 1994 | native |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | 14.125 lbs. | Missouri River | 2010 | native |
| Smallmouth bass | 8.4 lbs. | Fort Peck Lake | 2024 | not marked native |
Montana state record fish as FWP lists them (records page), read November 12, 2026.
Organized fishing events on McCone County water
| Date | Event | Water | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 6, 2027 | 29th Annual Chamber Ice Derby | Fort Peck | Glasgow Area Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture, INC. |
| Sept. 26, 2026 | EMBA Open- BassCat Rally | Fort Peck | N/A |
| Sept. 19, 2026 | NBAA Qualifier 3/4 | Fort Peck, Hell Creek Marina SP | National Bass Anglers Association |
| Sept. 12, 2026 | MT Bass Nation Team Open | Fort Peck Reservoir | MT Bass Nation |
| Aug. 8, 2026 | Fishin' for the Cure | Fort Peck Reservoir | Fishin' for the cure |
| July 31, 2026 | Fort Peck Salmon Tournament of Kings | Fort Peck | Glasgow Chamber of Commerce |
| July 31, 2026 | Tournament of Kings (2026, inaugural), Chinook salmon (result) | Fort Peck Lake | Tournament of Kings |
| July 25, 2026 | Hell Creek Walleye Tournament | Fort Peck Lake | Walleyes Unlimited Jordan Chapter |
| July 25, 2026 | Hell Creek Walleye Tournament (2026) (result) | Fort Peck Lake | Hell Creek Walleye Tournament |
| July 18, 2026 | 26th Annual Glasgow Womens Fishing Tournament | Fort Peck Reservoir | Walleyes Unlimited- Glasgow/ Fort Peck |
Event as listed by the organizer (source), read November 12, 2026.
Montana fly shops and tackle stores of McCone County
Gear stores within reach of McCone County
- Rock Creek Marinamarina, Fort Peck
Yellow Pages, State Parks and operator listings (city of business), read November 12, 2026. Guides are listed as businesses; no licence status is implied.
Montana places mapped beside McCone County
Montana counties sharing a line with McCone County
- Dawson County47 miles southeast
- Richland County57 miles east
- Roosevelt County57 miles northeast
- Prairie County58 miles south
A Piscifun bundle sized for Big Sky fishing at McCone County
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Prairie reservoirs and Rockies lakes by McCone County through a lens
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Montana and Dakotas, Public domain
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Montana and Dakotas, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: David Schott, CC BY 2.0
What Montanans ask about the water in McCone County
Are there public Montana ramps in McCone County?
No FWP ramp sits in the county itself.
Which reservoir leads McCone County on size?
On size, Fort Peck Lake: 249,240 acres.
Which species keep appearing in MFISH lists around McCone County?
MFISH names northern pike on the most lake pages within 120 miles, then walleye, yellow perch and black crappie; the layer shows presence, not a catch.
Which Montana shops in McCone County carry tackle?
Rock Creek Marina is one of 1 listed here.
Which Montana town is the county seat of McCone County?
The seat is Circle.
Do I need a Montana license to fish in McCone 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 Montana county pages sit near McCone County?
Look at Dawson County, Richland County and Roosevelt County.
Is there a daily limit in McCone 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.
Which waters in McCone County break from the district chart?
2 waters with a page here carry their own exception lines, beginning with Fort Peck Lake.
How much FWP stocking does McCone County see?
The 2026 plant report lists 17,091,362 fish in 75 rows across 1 water in the county.
Are there fishing contests in McCone County?
21 entries on file; the next is 29th Annual Chamber Ice Derby on Fort Peck, Feb. 6, 2027.
Is McCone County water on the FWP record list?
Chinook salmon, 32.65 lbs., from Fort Peck Reservoir (2024).
Work the Montana lakes and streams of McCone County
Every access page carries a directions link.