Montana Fishing Report

If you’re planning a fishing trip to Montana, you have some excellent choices for lakes and streams throughout the state including Ashley Lake, Bighorn Lake, Bull Lake, Canyon Ferry Lake, Clark Canyon Reservoir, Deadmans Basin Reservoir, Flathead Lake, Fort Peck Lake, Fresno Reservoir, Georgetown Lake, Gibson Reservoir, Hauser Lake, Hebgen Lake, Holter Lake, Hungry Horse Reservoir, Lake Elwell/Tiber Reservoir, Lake Frances, Lake Helena, Lake Koocanusa, Lake McDonald, Noxon Reservoir, Placid Lake, Seeley Lake, St Mary Lake, Whitefish Lake, Willow Creek Reservoir and others. Many of the lakes in Montana have camping facilities as well as other accommodations nearby. Montana is well known for excellent Bass, Salmon and Trout fishing. Additionally, in waters around the state you’ll find populations of Walleye, Crappie, Catfish, Tiger Musky, Northern Pike, Sauger, Saugeye, Paddlefish and sunfish including Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, White Bass, Yellow Perch which are plentiful in some waters.

Fishing is regulated in Montana by the Fish & Game Department. You can check their website for current fishing reports. Other fishing reports are offered by independent services which collect information from fishermen. Some reports are divided by regions (southern, northern, eastern and western), some are listed by fish species while others are listed simply lake-by-lake.

Reading Montana Fishing Reports

Often fishing conditions change by the hour. When reading fishing reports the most useful information is likely to be the sum total of all reports over the last few weeks rather than the specifics of the most current fishing report. So finding that the fish have been caught shallow over the last few weeks is more important to know than the exact lure the last report mentioned.

Often archived Montana fishing reports from prior years can help you identify seasonal patterns for a specific lake. Review the prior reports to find consistent information for summer months of June, July and August. The information will be different than that for the fall months of September and October. Winter months of November, December, January and February will show reports unique to this time of year, possibly including ice fishing reports. Pay special attention to the spring (March, April and May) fishing reports from prior years as they should provide information to help you predict the approximate time for the spawn.

If you are considering a visit to Montana for a fishing trip and are unfamiliar with the area, some of the major cities in Montana include Great Falls, Missoula, Glasgow, Malta, Bozeman, Butte, Billings, Forsyth, Helena, Kalispell and others scattered across MT, some with fishing opportunities nearby. To enhance your fishing experience, you may want to hire a local guide. Click here for a list of Montana fishing guides.

Montana Fishing Reports

The fishing report resources listed below offer independent information about fishing conditions at various lakes, rivers and streams in Montana. Use this information knowing that weather and other factors may have caused fishing conditions to change since the reports were filed.

Best of luck to you on all your fishing trips in Montana. Use the navigation on the left to find fishing reports for other states.

Montana Fishing Reports For Lakes, Rivers and Streams in MT