Fishing near Butte, Montana
City, Silver Bow County. Census 2020 residents: 34,494.
- 19 milesAmc Settling Pond #2
- 8ramps within 40 mi
- 4rivers within 45 mi
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Where anglers from Butte go
Butte sits in Silver Bow County as a city, home to 34,494 people when 2020 was counted. The courthouse for Montana's Silver Bow County is here. From the Census point, Amc Settling Pond #2 lies 19 miles north and ranks first among lake pages. For big water near town, Georgetown Lake leads at 2,818 acres.
With a trailer, Powerhouse Fishing Access Site on Big Hole River is the nearest mapped ramp at 12 miles. Big Hole River is the nearest moving water on the site, 33 miles off. Greenwood Bottoms Fishing Access Site, roughly 12 miles away, has bank access.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (TIGERweb) and the 2023 Gazetteer, read November 12, 2026. Straight-line miles from the Census place point.
Montana reservoirs within reach of 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 Moving Montana water within a drive of Butte
- Big Hole River33 miles, exception rules, 10 access sites, 4 USGS gauges
- Little Blackfoot River36 miles, exception rules, 1 access site, 2 USGS gauges
- East Fork Bitterroot River44 miles, exception rules
- Jefferson River45 miles, exception rules, 10 access sites, 3 USGS gauges
Live Montana creek numbers around Butte
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Bow Cr Bl Blacktail Cr, At Butte, Mt | 18 cfs, 1.39 ft gage height | Nov 15 3:00 pm |
| Silver Bow Creek At Montana Street, At Butte, Mt | 8 cfs, 6.28 ft gage height | Nov 15 3:45 pm |
| Blacktail Creek Above Grove Gulch, At Butte, Mt | 8 cfs, 4.28 ft gage height | Nov 15 3:30 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.
Plotted Montana fishing spots near Butte
FWP Fishing Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service) and the FishMT site pages, read November 12, 2026. Census place point.
Boat access closest to Butte
- Powerhouse Fishing Access Site on Big Hole River12 miles, Big Hole River, fishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 17 acres
- George Grant Memorial Fishing Access Site on Big Hole River12 miles, Big Hole River, fishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 4 acres
- Maidenrock Fishing Access Site on Big Hole River17 miles, Big Hole River, fishing access site, ramp (gravel), gravel surface, 196 acres
- Salmon Fly Fishing Access Site on Big Hole River19 miles, Big Hole River, fishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 12 acres
- Silver Star Fishing Access Site on Jefferson River23 miles, Jefferson River, fishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 24 acres
- Brownes Bridge Fishing Access Site on Big Hole River24 miles, Big Hole River, fishing access site, ramp (gravel), gravel surface, 10 acres
- Hell's Canyon Fishing Access Site on Jefferson River25 miles, Jefferson River, fishing access site, ramp (gravel), gravel surface, 4 acres
- Fishtrap Creek Fishing Access Site on Big Hole River27 miles, Big Hole River, fishing access site, ramp (concrete), concrete surface, 82 acres
Fishing access sites a drive from Butte
- Greenwood Bottoms Fishing Access Site12 miles, water not named, fishing access site, no boat facilities, 6 acres
- Sportsman's Park Fishing Access Site on Big Hole River24 miles, Big Hole River, fishing access site, no boat facilities, 38 acres
- Kalsta Bridge Fishing Access Site on Big Hole River26 miles, Big Hole River, fishing access site, no boat facilities, 6 acres
- Racetrack Pond FAS26 miles, water not named, fishing access site, no boat facilities
- Piedmont Pond Fishing Access Site26 miles, water not named, fishing access site, no boat facilities, 21 acres
- Parrot Castle Fishing Access Site on Jefferson River27 miles, Jefferson River, fishing access site, no boat facilities, 33 acres
FWP Fishing Access Sites layer (ArcGIS service) and the FishMT site pages, read November 12, 2026.
Recent FWP plants near Butte
| Lake | From Butte | Date | Species | Fish | Average length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown Lake | 36 miles | September 8, 2026 | Rainbow trout | 86,654 | 4 in. |
| Georgetown Lake | 36 miles | July 2, 2026 | Rainbow trout | 10,402 | 3.99 in. |
| Georgetown Lake | 36 miles | June 23, 2026 | Brook trout | 44,226 | 4.95 in. |
| Echo Lake (Granite County) | 37 miles | September 8, 2026 | Rainbow trout | 4,031 | 4 in. |
FWP FishMT stocking report for 2026, year to date (FishMT plant report), read November 12, 2026.
Exception lines near Butte
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. For water near Butte, find the district first, then check for a heading of its own. 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.
Western district chart Central district chart Eastern district chart
- Silver Lake (Deer Lodge County)Closed to fishing July 1 through Sept. 30 within a 50-yard radius of the mouth of Storm Lake Creek. (SILVER LAKE (near Anaconda))
- Georgetown LakeOpen third Saturday in May through March 31, except for the South and East shoreline area which is only open July 1 through March 31. South and East shoreline areas described as follows: all waters from the shore or within 100 yards of shore in the area extending from a point 200 yards west of Lakeside at Georgetown Marina (along the shore, including all of Stuart Mill Bay) to a point 200 yards north from the mouth of North Fork Flint Creek. (GEORGETOWN LAKE)
2026 Montana Fishing Regulations (valid March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027; FWP PDF), read November 12, 2026. License prices as printed on the FWP fishing license page and in the 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations, p. 12 (the two agree), read November 12, 2026.
FWP record entries around Butte
| 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 |
| Walleye | 18.02 lbs. | Holter Reservoir | 2021 | not marked native |
Montana state record fish as FWP lists them (records page), read November 12, 2026. Record waters within 120 miles.
Montana club events a drive from Butte
| Date | Event | Water | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 16, 2027 | Central Montana Perch Derby | East Fork Reservoir | Walleye Unlimited – Crooked Creek Chapter |
Event as listed by the organizer (source), read November 12, 2026.
Montana fly shops and bait stores near Butte
Gear stores within reach of Butte
- Bob Ward & Sons Inc, 1925 Dewey Blvdbait and tackle shop, Butte, 9 miles
- Fran Johnson's Sports Shopbait and tackle shop, Butte, 10 miles
- Complete Flyfisherfly shop, Wise River, 15 miles
- The Complete Fly Fisherfly shop, Wise River, 15 miles
- Troutfitters Incbait and tackle shop, Wise River, 17 miles
- Sunrise Fly Shopfly shop, Melrose, 18 miles
- Rainbow Sporting Goodsbait and tackle shop, Anaconda, 21 miles
- L&P Grocerybait and tackle shop, Boulder, 35 miles
Yellow Pages, State Parks and operator listings; miles only where the listing has an exact address point, read November 12, 2026. No guide is called licensed.
Montana places mapped beside Butte
Montana towns sharing water with Butte
- Anaconda27 miles, 2020 count 9,421
- Whitehall27 miles, 2020 count 1,006
- Deer Lodge35 miles, 2020 count 2,938
- Boulder35 miles, 2020 count 1,201
- Dillon47 miles, 2020 count 3,880
Big Sky reservoirs worth a detour from Butte
- Amc Settling Pond #219 miles
- Amc Settling Pond #120 miles
- Whitetail Reservoir (Jefferson County)22 miles
- Silver Lake (Deer Lodge County)33 miles
- Silver Bow Countycounty page
A Piscifun bundle sized for Big Sky fishing at Butte
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Montana banks and boat docks worth a frame near Butte
Photo: Nicolas Henderson, CC BY 2.0
Photo: TravelingOtter, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Mobilus In Mobili, CC BY-SA 2.0
Basing a Big Sky fishing trip out of Butte
Where is the nearest Montana lake to Butte?
Amc Settling Pond #2, about 19 miles north.
How far is the nearest Montana ramp from Butte?
Powerhouse Fishing Access Site on Big Hole River, 12 miles away, on Big Hole River.
Can I fish Montana water without a boat near Butte?
Greenwood Bottoms Fishing Access Site, 12 miles away (fishing access site, no boat facilities, 6 acres).
Which Montana shops near Butte stock tackle?
Bob Ward & Sons Inc, 1925 Dewey Blvd, one of 8 listings nearby.
What Montana county is Butte in?
Silver Bow County. It is the Montana county seat as well.
What does a Montana license cost for Butte?
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 town pages are near Butte?
Anaconda (27 miles), Whitehall (27 miles) and Deer Lodge (35 miles).
Is there a daily cap near Butte?
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 Montana river page is nearest Butte?
The closest river page is Big Hole River, 33 miles from the town point.
Does FWP plant fish close to Butte?
FishMT lists rainbow trout at Georgetown Lake on September 8, 2026, 36 miles from town.
Is a Montana derby coming up near Butte?
Central Montana Perch Derby on East Fork Reservoir, Jan. 16, 2027.
Make Butte your Montana fishing base
Check a lake's exception heading before keeping fish.