Fishing in Silver Bow County, Montana
County seat: Butte. Census 2020 residents: 35,133.
- 1other sites
- 1ramp
- 1river pages
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Big Hole River: Tom Hart, CC BY 2.0
Silver Bow County: the Montana short version
County business for Silver Bow County happens in Butte, home county to 35,133 people as of 2020. Gazetteer totals: 718 square miles of land and 0.6 square miles of water. For a stream day, start with Big Hole River.
FWP lists 1 ramp in the county and 1 other fishing site more without a ramp. Check the exception headings for 1 water 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 Silver Bow 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 Silver Bow County, Montana
With only a handful of paged lakes in Silver Bow County, here are the closest from Butte.
| Lake | From Butte | Size | Access sites | Kind | MFISH lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amc Settling Pond #2 | 19 miles north | 526 acres | 0 | pond | brown trout, rainbow trout |
| Amc Settling Pond #1 | 20 miles north | 293 acres | 0 | pond | brown trout, rainbow trout |
| Whitetail Reservoir (Jefferson County) | 22 miles northeast | 603 acres | 0 | reservoir | Westslope cutthroat trout |
| Silver Lake (Deer Lodge County) | 33 miles northwest | 300 acres | 0 | natural lake | bull trout |
| Georgetown Lake | 36 miles northwest | 2,818 acres | 1 | natural lake | brook trout, kokanee salmon, rainbow trout |
| Echo Lake (Granite County) | 37 miles northwest | 102 acres | 0 | natural lake | brook trout, rainbow trout, Westslope cutthroat 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.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 What the MFISH layer names around Silver Bow County
Out to 60 miles from Butte, MFISH names rainbow trout on more lake pages than any other fish.
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.
Streams crossing Silver Bow County
- Big Hole Riverexception rules, 10 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
Gauge readings logged within Silver Bow County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Blacktail Creek Above Grove Gulch, At Butte, Mt | 8 cfs, 4.28 ft gage height | Nov 15 3:30 pm |
| Silver Bow Creek At Montana Street, At Butte, Mt | 8 cfs, 6.28 ft gage height | Nov 15 3:45 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.
Montana ramps and hand launches in Silver Bow County
- Powerhouse Fishing Access Site on Big Hole Riverfishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 17 acres; Silver Bow County
Montana shore spots spread over Silver Bow County
- Greenwood Bottoms Fishing Access Sitefishing access site, no boat facilities, 6 acres; Silver Bow County
FWP Fishing Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service) and the FishMT site pages, read November 12, 2026.
FWP layer names for Silver Bow County waters without a write-up
- Basin Creek Reservoirabout 31 acres of mapped outline
- Moulton Reservoirabout 26 acres of mapped outline
- Upper Reservoirabout 12 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 Silver Bow 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.
- Big Hole RiverCatch-and-release for arctic grayling. (BIG HOLE RIVER)
2026 Montana Fishing Regulations (valid March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027; FWP PDF), read November 12, 2026.
Montana state-record catches around Silver Bow County
| Species | Weight or length as listed | Water | Year | Marked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kokanee salmon | 7.85 lbs. | Hauser Reservoir | 2003 | not marked native |
| Longnose sucker | 4.78 lbs. | Hauser Reservoir | 2022 | native |
| Mountain whitefish | 5.11 lbs. | Hauser Reservoir | 2007 | native |
| Utah chub | 2.39 lbs. | Canyon Ferry Lake | 2022 | not marked native |
Montana state record fish as FWP lists them (records page), read November 12, 2026.
Montana fly shops and tackle stores of Silver Bow County
Gear stores within reach of Silver Bow County
- Bob Ward & Sons Inc, 1925 Dewey Blvdbait and tackle shop, Butte
- Fran Johnson's Sports Shopbait and tackle shop, Butte
- Sunrise Fly Shopfly shop, Melrose
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 Silver Bow County
Montana towns in Silver Bow County with their own pages
- Butte2020 count 34,494
Montana counties sharing a line with Silver Bow County
- Deer Lodge County27 miles northwest
- Jefferson County33 miles northeast
- Granite County50 miles northwest
- Madison County53 miles southeast
A Piscifun bundle sized for Big Sky fishing at Silver Bow County
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Big Sky shorelines and trout-stream riffles around Silver Bow County, photographed
Photo: TravelingOtter, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Mobilus In Mobili, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Phil Price, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Luke Detwiler, CC BY 2.0
What Montanans ask about the water in Silver Bow County
Are there public Montana ramps in Silver Bow County?
FWP maps 1 ramp inside the county.
Which reservoir leads Silver Bow County on size?
No lake inside the county has a page here; Amc Settling Pond #2, 19 miles from Butte, is the closest one.
Which species keep appearing in MFISH lists around Silver Bow County?
MFISH names rainbow trout on the most lake pages within 60 miles, then Westslope cutthroat trout, brook trout and brown trout; the layer shows presence, not a catch.
Which Montana shops in Silver Bow County carry tackle?
Bob Ward & Sons Inc, 1925 Dewey Blvd is one of 3 listed here.
Which Montana town is the county seat of Silver Bow County?
The seat is Butte.
Do I need a Montana license to fish in Silver Bow 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 Silver Bow County?
Look at Deer Lodge County, Jefferson County and Granite County.
Is there a daily limit in Silver Bow 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 Silver Bow County break from the district chart?
1 water with a page here carry their own exception lines, beginning with Big Hole River.
Work the Montana lakes and streams of Silver Bow County
Every access page carries a directions link.