Black bullhead in Montana
Montana black bullhead limits by district, exception lines, records and MFISH-listed waters.
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Numbers behind Montana Black bullhead
No chart line in the 2026 regulations is headed black bullhead; the booklet's no-limit wording for unlisted species applies unless a water says otherwise. It turns up in the MFISH data for 30 waters with pages here; 5 carry the word common or abundant.
Montana keeps 1 record entry for it.
2026 Montana Fishing Regulations, p. 23 (valid March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027; FWP PDF), read November 12, 2026.
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| Fish | Weight | Length (inches) | Water | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | 2.60 lbs. | 14.37 | Smiley Slough | 2009 |
Montana state record fish as FWP lists them (records page), read November 12, 2026.
Reservoirs and streams in the FWP lists for black bullhead
Read each label as FWP prints it in MFISH; stocked flags a FishMT planting this year.
- Pablo ReservoirMFISH: abundant; Lake County
- Ninepipe ReservoirMFISH: abundant; Lake County
- Kicking Horse ReservoirMFISH: abundant; Lake County
- Kilbrennan LakeMFISH: abundant; Lincoln County
- Arapooish PondMFISH: common; Big Horn County
- Fort Peck LakeMFISH: rare; Valley County
- Noxon Rapids ReservoirMFISH: rare; Sanders County
- Bighorn Lake (Big Horn County)MFISH: rare; Big Horn County
- Cabinet Gorge ReservoirMFISH: rare; Sanders County
- Lake Josephine (Yellowstone County)MFISH: rare; Yellowstone County
- Flathead LakeMFISH: listed; Lake County
- Whitefish LakeMFISH: listed; Flathead County
- Tongue River ReservoirMFISH: listed; Big Horn County
- Thompson Falls ReservoirMFISH: listed; Sanders County
- Frenchman ReservoirMFISH: listed; Phillips County
- Egan SloughMFISH: listed; Flathead County
- Sophie LakeMFISH: listed; Lincoln County
- Fennon SloughMFISH: listed; Flathead County
- Yellowstone RiverMFISH: listed; Yellowstone County
- South Sandstone ReservoirMFISH: listed; Fallon County
- Missouri RiverMFISH: listed; Chouteau County
- Clark Fork RiverMFISH: listed; Mineral County
- Bitterroot RiverMFISH: listed; Ravalli County
- McWenneger SloughMFISH: listed; Flathead County
- Bighorn RiverMFISH: listed; Big Horn County
- Flathead RiverMFISH: listed; Sanders County
- Spotted Eagle LakeMFISH: listed; Custer County
- Milk RiverMFISH: listed; Valley County
- Tongue RiverMFISH: listed; Custer County
- Poplar RiverMFISH: listed; Roosevelt County
FWP MFISH fish distribution layer (ArcGIS service), read November 12, 2026. Presence is mapping data, not a catch report.
Prairie reservoirs and Rockies lakes by Black bullhead through a lens
Photo: Forest Service Northern Region, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Tom Hart, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Alkula's, CC BY 2.0
Open questions on Black bullhead from Montana waters
Which chart row governs black bullhead here?
No chart line in the 2026 regulations is headed black bullhead; the booklet's no-limit wording for unlisted species applies unless a water says otherwise. Each limit comes from the 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations.
Does any exception heading rewrite the black bullhead rule?
None of the exception headings single it out.
How heavy is the certified black bullhead record?
2.60 lbs. out of Smiley Slough in 2009, a certified record.
Which impoundments list black bullhead?
Pablo Reservoir, Ninepipe Reservoir and Kicking Horse Reservoir comes first among the 30 that name it.
Are black bullhead on the 2026 plant report?
It was not in this year's FishMT rows.
Which FWP license do black bullhead anglers buy?
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 office maintains the black bullhead record list?
A claim needs a certified-scale weight, identification by an FWP biologist and the Fish Record Form.
Does a Montana season limit when I can fish for black bullhead?
Seasons are set by district and by river or lake, and the exception pages can override them.