Fishing in Phillips County, Montana
County seat: Malta. Census 2020 residents: 4,217.
- 4lake pages
- 1ramp
- 2river pages
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First things to know about fishing Montana's Phillips County
At the 2020 Census Phillips County held 4,217 residents, and its seat is Malta. Inside its borders the Census counts 5,140 square miles of land and 71.6 square miles of water. This site writes up 4 lakes and reservoirs here, and Fort Peck Lake is the largest by size. The county's river pages cover Missouri River and Milk River.
The Fishing Access Site list holds 1 ramp here, plus 2 other fishing sites walk-in or hand-launch sites. Hatchery runs in 2026 put 17,194,662 fish in 3 county waters (79 rows). Special regulation lines apply to 2 waters in the county.
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.
The Treasure State water map of Phillips 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 lake pages for Phillips County
| Lake | Size | Access sites | Kind | MFISH lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Peck Lake | 249,240 acres | 1 | natural lake | black crappie, burbot, channel catfish |
| Nelson Reservoir (Phillips County, about 4,114 acres) | 4,115 acres | 0 | reservoir | black crappie, burbot, channel catfish |
| Frenchman Reservoir | 573 acres | 0 | reservoir | black bullhead, common carp, northern pike |
| Wild Horse Reservoir | 217 acres | 0 | reservoir | common carp, northern pike, yellow perch |
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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Summing MFISH lists for lakes within 60 miles of Malta, common carp comes first.
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 to wade in Phillips County
- Missouri Riverexception rules, 27 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
- Milk River3 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
USGS gauges reporting across Montana's Phillips County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri River Near Landusky Mt | 5,290 cfs, 13.38 ft gage height | Nov 14 3:00 pm |
| Milk River At Malta Mt | 124 cfs, 1.89 ft gage height | Nov 14 2:00 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 trailer launches around Phillips County
- Cole Ponds Fishing Access Site on Cole Pond NNWfishing access site, ramp (gravel), gravel surface, 139 acres; Phillips County
FWP fishing access sites in Phillips County
- Alkali Creek Fishing Access Site on Milk Riverfishing access site, no boat facilities, 2 acres; Phillips County
- Bjornberg Bridge Fishing Access Site on Milk Riverfishing access site, no boat facilities, 28 acres; Phillips County
FWP Fishing Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service) and the FishMT site pages, read November 12, 2026.
Named basins on the Montana map of Phillips County
- Nelson Reservoirabout 145 acres of mapped outline
- Ester Lakeabout 139 acres of mapped outline
- Lake Bowdoinabout 3,926 acres of mapped outline
- Dry Lake Unitabout 1,237 acres of mapped outline
- Weigand Reservoirabout 1,090 acres of mapped outline
- Veseth Reservoirabout 403 acres of mapped outline
- Austin Lakeabout 280 acres of mapped outline
- Dry Lakeabout 220 acres of mapped outline
- First Creek Reservoirabout 218 acres of mapped outline
- Buckley Lakeabout 212 acres of mapped outline
- Lakeside Unitabout 207 acres of mapped outline
- Whitcomb Lakeabout 206 acres of mapped outline
- Hewitt Lakeabout 180 acres of mapped outline
- Shed Lakeabout 179 acres of mapped outline
- Horse Shoe Lakeabout 168 acres of mapped outline
- West Alkali Reservoirabout 150 acres of mapped outline
- Point Of Rocks Reservoirabout 129 acres of mapped outline
- Indian Lakeabout 117 acres of mapped outline
- Little Warm Reservoirabout 92 acres of mapped outline
- PR161 Reservoirabout 84 acres of mapped outline
- McChesney Reservoirabout 81 acres of mapped outline
- Bennett Lakeabout 72 acres of mapped outline
- Pr 056 Reservoirabout 70 acres of mapped outline
- Lenoir Reservoirabout 54 acres of mapped outline
- Mud Lakeabout 53 acres of mapped outline
- Dry Lakeabout 52 acres of mapped outline
- Beam Lakeabout 52 acres of mapped outline
- Big McNeil Sloughabout 42 acres of mapped outline
- Government Field Reservoirabout 37 acres of mapped outline
- Pr 071 Reservoirabout 36 acres of mapped outline
- Carter Lakeabout 36 acres of mapped outline
- Solberg Sloughabout 34 acres of mapped outline
- Rock Creek Reservoirabout 29 acres of mapped outline
- Williams Coulee Reservoirabout 28 acres of mapped outline
- Stratton Reservoirabout 26 acres of mapped outline
- Bison Bone Reservoirabout 26 acres of mapped outline
- Goose Island Pondabout 26 acres of mapped outline
- McNeil Sloughabout 26 acres of mapped outline
- Carter Reservoirabout 25 acres of mapped outline
- Drabbels Reservoirabout 22 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 exception headings that touch Phillips County waters
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.
FishMT stocking rows for Phillips County waters
| 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 29, 2026 | Nelson Reservoir | 77,300 | Walleye |
FWP FishMT stocking report for 2026, year to date (FishMT plant report), read November 12, 2026.
FWP record entries on Phillips County water
| Species | Weight or length as listed | Water | Year | Marked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bigmouth buffalo | 57.75 lbs. | Nelson Reservoir (Phillips County, about 4,114 acres) | 1994 | native |
| Chinook salmon | 32.65 lbs. | Fort Peck Lake | 2024 | not marked native |
| Cisco | 2.08 lbs. | Missouri River | 2014 | not marked native |
| Common carp | 40.2 lbs. | Nelson Reservoir (Phillips County, about 4,114 acres) | 1998 | not marked native |
| Freshwater drum | 21.59 lbs. | Fort Peck Lake | 2003 | native |
| Goldeye | 3.18 lbs. | Nelson Reservoir (Phillips County, about 4,114 acres) | 2000 | native |
Montana state record fish as FWP lists them (records page), read November 12, 2026.
Contest days on Phillips County water
| Date | Event | Water | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 23, 2027 | Ice Classic Fishing Tournament in Memory of Digger | Nelson Reservoir | Chad Grotte |
| 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 |
Event as listed by the organizer (source), read November 12, 2026.
Where Montana anglers in Phillips County shop
Tackle counters on the road to Phillips County
- Hell Creek Marinamarina, Jordan, 68 miles
- Rock Creek Marinamarina, Fort Peck, 86 miles
Yellow Pages, State Parks and operator listings (city of business), read November 12, 2026. Guides are listed as businesses; no licence status is implied.
A short stretch past Phillips County
Town pages within Phillips County
- Malta2020 count 1,860
Across the Montana county line from Phillips County
- Blaine County49 miles west
- Valley County58 miles east
- Petroleum County78 miles south
- Garfield County81 miles southeast
Piscifun gear a Treasure State angler could bring to Phillips County
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Early light on the water near Phillips County, Big Sky style
Photo: Miroslav Volek, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Lakes, forks and ramps of Phillips County, explained
How many Fishing Access Site ramps does FWP list for Phillips County?
There are 1 ramp in the state access data.
Where is the widest water in Phillips County?
Fort Peck Lake, with 249,240 acres.
What fish does FWP name near Phillips County?
MFISH names common carp on the most lake pages within 60 miles, then northern pike, walleye and yellow perch; the layer shows presence, not a catch.
Where can I buy bait in Phillips County, Montana?
The closest Montana shops sit outside the county and appear above.
Where does Montana's Phillips County keep its courthouse?
Malta has it.
Which Montana licenses cover fishing in Phillips 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.
What counties surround Phillips County?
Begin with Blaine County, Valley County and Petroleum County.
How many trout may a Montana angler in Phillips County take home?
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.
Are there special Montana rules on Phillips County lakes?
2 waters with a page here carry their own exception lines, beginning with Fort Peck Lake.
Did FWP hatchery trucks visit Montana's Phillips County this year?
The 2026 plant report lists 17,194,662 fish in 79 rows across 3 waters in the county.
When is the next Montana weigh-in on Phillips County water?
23 entries on file; the next is Ice Classic Fishing Tournament in Memory of Digger on Nelson Reservoir, Jan. 23, 2027.
What Montana record fish came out of Phillips County?
Bigmouth buffalo, 57.75 lbs., from Nelson Reservoir (1994).
Set up a Montana fishing weekend in Phillips County
Lake pages carry access sites, MFISH species lists and exception rules.