Fishing in Valley County, Montana
County seat: Glasgow. Census 2020 residents: 7,578.
- 4lake pages
- 3ramps
- 2river pages
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Valley County: the Montana short version
County business for Valley County happens in Glasgow, home county to 7,578 people as of 2020. Gazetteer totals: 4,926 square miles of land and 135.7 square miles of water. 4 lakes and reservoirs have their own page in Valley County, with Fort Peck Lake ahead on size. For a stream day, start with Missouri River and Milk River.
FWP lists 3 ramps in the county and 1 other fishing site more without a ramp. FishMT's 2026 grid shows 17,094,862 fish stocked in the county over 77 rows and 2 waters. Check the exception headings for 3 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 Valley 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 Valley 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 |
| Fort Peck Dredge Cuts | 542 acres | 1 | natural lake | bluegill, channel catfish, cisco |
| Frazer Lake | 310 acres | 0 | natural lake | largemouth bass, northern pike, 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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Out to 60 miles from Glasgow, MFISH names northern pike 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 Valley County
- Missouri Riverexception rules, 27 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
- Milk River3 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
Gauge readings logged within Valley County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Milk River At Juneberg Bridge Nr Saco Mt | 170 cfs, 3.09 ft gage height | Nov 15 4:00 pm |
| Rock Creek Bl Horse Creek Nr Int'l Boundary | 2 cfs, 2.71 ft gage height | Nov 15 3:15 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 Valley County
- Fort Peck Dredge Cut Pond Fishing Access Site on Fort Peck Dredge Cutsfishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 119 acres; Valley County
- School Trust Fishing Access Site on Missouri Riverfishing access site, ramp (gravel), gravel surface, 2 acres; Valley County
- Duck Creek Fishing Access Sitefishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 12 acres; Valley County
Montana shore spots spread over Valley County
- Glasgow Base Pond Fishing Access Sitefishing access site, hand launch, dock, 16 acres; Valley County
FWP Fishing Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service) and the FishMT site pages, read November 12, 2026.
FWP layer names for Valley County waters without a write-up
- Nelson Dredgeabout 164 acres of mapped outline
- Triple Crossing Reservoirabout 395 acres of mapped outline
- Grub Detention Reservoirabout 229 acres of mapped outline
- Vr-2 Reservoirabout 184 acres of mapped outline
- Mahan And Hoyt Reservoirabout 177 acres of mapped outline
- Todd Lakesabout 105 acres of mapped outline
- Lake Grableabout 95 acres of mapped outline
- Jim Reservoirabout 82 acres of mapped outline
- Fisher Reservoirabout 79 acres of mapped outline
- Wesen Reservoirabout 79 acres of mapped outline
- Gutshot Detention Reservoirabout 72 acres of mapped outline
- Fort Peck Trout Pondabout 53 acres of mapped outline
- Cornwell Reservoirabout 48 acres of mapped outline
- Lori Detention Reservoirabout 47 acres of mapped outline
- Arrambide Reservoirabout 41 acres of mapped outline
- Target Detention Reservoirabout 36 acres of mapped outline
- Willow Creek Flat Reservoirabout 36 acres of mapped outline
- Desert Coulee Reservoirabout 35 acres of mapped outline
- Baalke Sloughabout 35 acres of mapped outline
- Halfpint Reservoirabout 34 acres of mapped outline
- Cottonwood Reservoirabout 33 acres of mapped outline
- Two Forks Reservoirabout 32 acres of mapped outline
- Vr 082 Reservoirabout 32 acres of mapped outline
- South Beaver Reservoirabout 30 acres of mapped outline
- Willow Flat Reservoirabout 28 acres of mapped outline
- Wesen Pondabout 27 acres of mapped outline
- Collins Reservoirabout 26 acres of mapped outline
- Three Trees Reservoirabout 25 acres of mapped outline
- Carpenter Creek Reservoirabout 25 acres of mapped outline
- Double Crossing Reservoirabout 24 acres of mapped outline
- Horgan Reservoirabout 24 acres of mapped outline
- Ult Reservoirabout 24 acres of mapped outline
- Hamms Reservoirabout 23 acres of mapped outline
- Desert Claim Reservoirabout 22 acres of mapped outline
- Forsman Reservoirabout 20 acres of mapped outline
- Skeeter Detention Reservoirabout 20 acres of mapped outline
- Nelsons Reservoirabout 20 acres of mapped outline
- Hurricane Reservoirabout 20 acres of mapped outline
- Itcaina Reservoirabout 18 acres of mapped outline
- Forrest Reservoirabout 17 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 Valley 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 Dredge CutsBow and Arrow: open July 1 through Aug. 31 for paddlefish. 1 per season and in possession. An unused blue paddlefish tag is required to fish for paddlefish. (FORT PECK DREDGE CUTS (west of Park Grove Bridge and Nelson Dredge))
- 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 Valley 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 Valley 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 |
| Rainbow smelt | 0.08 lbs. | Fort Peck Dredge Cuts | 2020 | not marked native |
| Sauger | 8.805 lbs. | Fort Peck Lake | 1994 | native |
| Shortnose gar | 7.41 lbs. | Fort Peck Dredge Cuts | 2013 | native |
Montana state record fish as FWP lists them (records page), read November 12, 2026.
Organized fishing events on Valley 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 Valley County
Gear stores within reach of Valley County
- Lakeridge Lodging & Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Glasgow
- Fort Peck Marinamarina, Valley County
Booking a Montana guided day at Valley County
- Billingsley Ranch Outfittersfishing guide, Glasgow
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 Valley County
Montana towns in Valley County with their own pages
- Glasgow2020 count 3,202
Montana counties sharing a line with Valley County
- Phillips County58 miles west
- Daniels County60 miles northeast
- McCone County65 miles southeast
- Garfield County76 miles south
A Piscifun bundle sized for Big Sky fishing at Valley County
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Prairie reservoirs and Rockies lakes by Valley County through a lens
Photo: Miroslav Volek, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
What Montanans ask about the water in Valley County
Are there public Montana ramps in Valley County?
FWP maps 3 ramps inside the county.
Which reservoir leads Valley County on size?
On size, Fort Peck Lake: 249,240 acres.
Which species keep appearing in MFISH lists around Valley County?
MFISH names northern pike on the most lake pages within 60 miles, then common carp, walleye and burbot; the layer shows presence, not a catch.
Which Montana shops in Valley County carry tackle?
Lakeridge Lodging & Bait Shop is one of 2 listed here.
Which Montana town is the county seat of Valley County?
The seat is Glasgow.
Do I need a Montana license to fish in Valley 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 Valley County?
Look at Phillips County, Daniels County and McCone County.
Is there a daily limit in Valley 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 Valley County break from the district chart?
3 waters with a page here carry their own exception lines, beginning with Fort Peck Dredge Cuts.
How much FWP stocking does Valley County see?
The 2026 plant report lists 17,094,862 fish in 77 rows across 2 waters in the county.
Are there fishing contests in Valley County?
22 entries on file; the next is 29th Annual Chamber Ice Derby on Fort Peck, Feb. 6, 2027.
Is Valley County water on the FWP record list?
Chinook salmon, 32.65 lbs., from Fort Peck Reservoir (2024).
Work the Montana lakes and streams of Valley County
Every access page carries a directions link.