Walleye in Montana
Everything FWP prints on walleye in Montana, dated and sourced line by line.
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Boiling down Walleye for Big Sky anglers
Each Montana fishing district that sets a standard for walleye gets its own line: 3 in all, Central, Eastern and Western. FWP's MFISH layer places it on 49 water pages built here, rating it common or abundant on 25.
Its rules change on 19 waters printed under District Exceptions, Clark Fork River for one. 1 certified record row name it. Hatchery plants this year: 68 rows at 15 waters.
2026 Montana Fishing Regulations, p. 23 (valid March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027; FWP PDF), read November 12, 2026.
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| District | Chart row as printed | Limit as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Western | Walleye | All walleye caught must be killed immediately, kept and the entire fish presented to FWP. Anglers who catch walleye in the Western Fishing District are required to report the catch to FWP within 24 hours (406-7525501). Anglers will be asked to provide location, date, and time of capture and may be asked to provide their full name, ALS number, and phone number. Anglers are required to present the whole Walleye to a FWP office within 10 days of capture (frozen is allowed) during regular business hours. Edible portions of the fish are returned to the angler upon request. Does not include Clark Fork Reservoirs downstream of Thompson Falls Dam, see Exceptions for the Clark Fork River (page 29). |
| Central | Sauger/Walleye | 5 daily, only 2 may be sauger. Possession limit is 10, only 4 may be sauger. |
| Eastern | Sauger/Walleye | 5 daily and 10 in possession. |
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.
Check the exception headings before using a chart number on a named water.
2026 Montana Fishing Regulations, p. 23 (valid March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027; FWP PDF), read November 12, 2026.
Rule oddities for walleye around Montana
| Water as printed | District | Rule lines | Booklet page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bighorn Lake | Central | Sauger/walleye: 6 daily (only 3 may be sauger) and 12 in possession (only 3 may be sauger). | page 55 |
| Bighorn River (east of Billings) | Eastern | Sauger/walleye: 5 daily, only 2 may be sauger. Possession limit is 10, only 4 may be sauger. | page 80 |
| Canyon Ferry Reservoir | Central | Walleye: 10 daily, only 1 over 15 inches. Possession limit is twice the daily limit. | page 55 |
| Clark Fork River | Western | Walleye: no limit. Catch, keep and report of walleye not required (see page 23). | page 29 |
| Fort Peck Reservoir | Eastern | Sauger/walleye: 5 daily, only 2 may be sauger. Possession limit is 10, only 4 may be sauger. | page 80 |
| Hauser Reservoir | Central | Walleye: 10 daily, only 1 over 15 inches. Possession limit is twice the daily limit. | page 58 |
| Holter Reservoir | Central | Walleye: 5 daily, only 1 over 25 inches. Possession limit is twice the daily limit. | page 58 |
| Judith River (from Hwy 81 downstream to mouth) | Eastern | Sauger/walleye: 5 daily, only 2 may be sauger. Possession limit is 10, only 4 may be sauger. | page 80 |
| Lake Elwell aka Tiber Reservoir | Central | Spearing: open for nongame fish, northern pike, and walleye through the ice and by persons swimming or submerged. | page 59 |
| Lake Frances | Central | Spearing: open for nongame fish, northern pike, and walleye through the ice. | page 59 |
| Lake Helena | Central | Walleye: 10 daily, only 1 over 15 inches. Possession limit is twice the daily limit. | page 59 |
| Marias River | Eastern | Sauger/walleye: 5 daily only 2 may be a sauger. Possession limit is 10, only 4 may be sauger. | page 80 |
| Missouri River | Central | Walleye: 10 daily, only 1 over 15 inches. Possession limit is twice the daily limit. Walleye: 10 daily, only 1 over 15 inches. Possession limit is twice the daily limit. Walleye: 10 daily, only 1 over 15 inches. Possession limit is twice the daily limit. Walleye: 5 daily, only 1 over 25 inches. Possession limit is twice the daily limit. W | page 62 |
| Missouri River | Eastern | Sauger/walleye: 5 daily, only 2 may be a sauger. Possession limit is 10, only 4 may be sauger. | page 82 |
| Musselshell River | Eastern | Sauger/walleye: 5 daily, only 2 may be sauger. Possession limit is 10, only 4 may be sauger. | page 82 |
| Tiber Reservoir aka Lake Elwell | Central | Spearing: open for nongame fish, northern pike, and walleye through the ice and by persons swimming or submerged. | page 67 |
| Tongue River | Eastern | Sauger/walleye: 5 daily only 1 may be sauger and 10 in possession only 2 may be sauger. | page 82 |
| Tongue River Reservoir | Eastern | Sauger/walleye: 5 daily only 1 may be a sauger and 10 in possession only 2 may be sauger. | page 82 |
| Yellowstone River | Eastern | Sauger/walleye: 5 daily only 2 may be sauger and 10 in possession only 4 may be sauger. Sauger/walleye: 5 daily only 2 may be sauger and 10 in possession only 4 may be sauger. | page 83 |
2026 Montana Fishing Regulations, p. 24-90 (valid March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027; FWP PDF), read November 12, 2026.
FWP's record book for walleye
| Fish | Weight | Length (inches) | Water | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 18.02 lbs. | 32.25 | Holter Lake | 2021 |
Montana state record fish as FWP lists them (records page), read November 12, 2026.
Montana waters where FWP maps walleye
Labels come from FWP's distribution layer, plus stocked where FishMT shows a plant this year; none promises fish on the line.
- Fort Peck LakeMFISH: abundant; Valley County
- Canyon Ferry LakeMFISH: abundant; Broadwater County
- Tiber ReservoirMFISH: abundant; Liberty County
- Bighorn Lake (Big Horn County)MFISH: abundant; Big Horn County
- Nelson Reservoir (Phillips County, about 4,114 acres)MFISH: abundant; Phillips County
- Holter ReservoirMFISH: abundant; Lewis and Clark County
- Lake FrancesMFISH: abundant; Pondera County
- Hauser ReservoirMFISH: abundant; Lewis and Clark County
- Fresno ReservoirMFISH: abundant; Hill County
- Tongue River ReservoirMFISH: abundant; Big Horn County
- Lake HelenaMFISH: abundant; Lewis and Clark County
- Fort Peck Powerhouse TailraceMFISH: abundant; Valley County
- Upper Holter LakeMFISH: abundant; Lewis and Clark County
- Dailey LakeMFISH: abundant; Park County
- Cooney ReservoirMFISH: common; Carbon County
- Fort Peck Dredge CutsMFISH: common; Valley County
- Petrolia ReservoirMFISH: common; Petroleum County
- Beaver Creek ReservoirMFISH: common; Hill County
- Castle Rock ReservoirMFISH: common; Rosebud County
- South Sandstone ReservoirMFISH: common; Fallon County
- Bailey ReservoirMFISH: common; Hill County
- Bearpaw LakeMFISH: common; Hill County
- Gartside ReservoirMFISH: common; Richland County
- Wadsworth LakeMFISH: common; Cascade County
- Big Casino Creek ReservoirMFISH: common; Fergus County
- Noxon Rapids ReservoirMFISH: rare; Sanders County
- Cabinet Gorge ReservoirMFISH: rare; Sanders County
- Yellowtail Afterbay ReservoirMFISH: rare; Big Horn County
- Frenchman ReservoirMFISH: listed; Phillips County
- Yellow Water ReservoirMFISH: listed; Petroleum County
FWP MFISH fish distribution layer (ArcGIS service), read November 12, 2026. Presence is mapping data, not a catch report.
Photo of Fort Peck Lake: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Prep notes ahead of a Walleye day on Montana water
Per-angler allowance for walleye in Montana?
Western district reads All walleye caught must be killed immediately, kept and the entire fish presented to FWP. Anglers who catch walleye in the Western Fishing District are required to report the catch to FWP within 24 hours (406-7525501). Anglers will be asked to provide location, date, and time of capture and may be asked to provide their full name, ALS number, and phone number. Anglers are required to present the whole Walleye to a FWP office within 10 days of capture (frozen is allowed) during regular business hours. Edible portions of the fish are returned to the angler upon request. Does not include Clark Fork Reservoirs downstream of Thompson Falls Dam, see Exceptions for the Clark Fork River (page 29).; Central district reads 5 daily, only 2 may be sauger. Possession limit is 10, only 4 may be sauger.; Eastern district reads 5 daily and 10 in possession. Each limit comes from the 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations.
Where does the chart number for walleye stop applying?
Its rules change on 19 waters printed under District Exceptions, Clark Fork River for one.
What waters turned out the record walleye?
FWP lists 18.02 lbs. from Holter Lake (2021).
Best first stops for walleye?
Fort Peck Lake, Canyon Ferry Lake and Tiber Reservoir tops a field of 49 pages that mention it.
Does FWP plant walleye?
Hatchery plants this year: 68 rows at 15 waters.
Must a visitor with no permit buy one for walleye?
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.
Is a new record walleye possible here?
Montana records need a certified scale, FWP biologist verification and the record form.
Does any Montana water close to walleye?
General seasons differ by district and water type; the general season table on the regulations page shows each one, and exception headings can add closures.