Montana is home to some of the best trout fishing destinations in the country. While trout are king here in most bodies of water, there are also some good fishing opportunities for northern pike, bass, salmon, panfish and more.
Featured Destinations – Quick Links
Learn more about our featured fishing destinations below.
Rivers & Lakes
| Big Hole River | Gallatin River |
| Bighorn River | Kootenai River |
| Clark Fork River | Missouri River |
| Flathead Lake | Yellowstone River |
| Fort Peck Lake | |
Featured Towns & Regions
Learn more about our featured fishing destinations below.
Bigfork, MT
Bigfork, Montana is located at an altitude of 2,900 feet in the mountains of northwest Montana. The town is located on the shores of Flathead Lake where the Swan River flows into the lake. Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi and the lake draws visitors that enjoy fishing, boating and other forms of water recreation. Bigfork is one of the most popular places to visit in Montana. You will find plenty of accommodations here as well as fishing guides.
Big Hole River
The Big Hole River one of the world’s most famous trout rivers. It is a tributary of the Jefferson River and it is approximately 153 miles long. The river is located in Beaverhead County of Southwest Montana. The Big Hole River flows from the Beaverhead Mountains southwest of Jackson, Montana to the confluence of the Ruby and Beaverhead Rivers near Twin Bridges, Montana to form the Jefferson River. This river provides good fishing for brook trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and grayling.
Bighorn River
The Bighorn River is a tributary of the Yellowstone River and it runs approximately 236 miles from the Boysen Reservoir to the Yellowstone River. The Bighorn River is a very popular river for fishing in Montana due to its large numbers of large, wild trout. The cold waters that flow from the Yellowtail Dam helps create one of the better tailwater fisheries for wild trout in the west. Anglers target wild brown trout and rainbow trout in the Bighorn River.
Big Sky, MT
Big Sky, Montana is known mostly for the skiing. The Big Sky Resort is a popular tourist destination among skiers. The town of Big Sky is located in southern Montana and there are plenty of places to stay as well as fishing guides and outfitters. The area waters are loaded with trout, which makes Big Sky a great vacation destination for fly fishermen as well as skiers.
Big Timber, MT
Big Timber is the county seat of Sweet Grass County in Montana. It is a small mountain town with beautiful scenery and plenty of outdoor recreation. Big Timber, Montana is the gateway to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and it is known for its excellent fishing. The Yellowstone and Boulder Rivers meet just outside the downtown area of Big Timber. Both rivers provide good fishing for trout. The Yellowstone River is one of the most famous trout fishing rivers in the west and there are several fishing guides that operate out of this part of Montana.
Billings, MT
Billings is the largest city in Montana. It is located in the south central part of the state and it has been growing rapidly. This city is popular among tourists because it offers many conveniences with nice hotels, restaurants and shopping, but it is also close to Yellowstone National Park. This area provides a nice balance for people looking to get away from the daily grind without leaving all of their conveniences behind.
Bitterroot Valley, MT
The Bitterroot Valley provides some awesome scenery, enough accommodations and area services so you can have an excellent vacation with some awesome fishing opportunities. With access to the Bitterroot River, Missouri River, Big Hole River and Rock Creek, anglers have lots of options to fish for a variety of trout in many different waters.
Bozeman, MT
Bozeman is a decent-sized city located in southwestern Montana. This area is popular among tourists. There are plenty of hotels, vacation rentals and other types of lodging. The area rivers are home to some excellent fishing for rainbow trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout. Whether you are looking for action or the chance at a big fish, there is a place for you in this area.
Butte, MT
Butte is a decent-sized town located in the southwesten part of Montana. Butte was one of the biggest copper towns in the west and it was home to hundreds of saloons and a famous red-light district.
The area rivers are home to brown trout, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brook trout and even some grayling. The Big Hole River gets a lot of attention here, but you also have the Madison River, Jefferson River and Upper Clark Fork River close by with some awesome fishing for a variety of trout.
Clark Fork River
The Clark Fork River is about 360 miles long as it flows from the Butte, Montana area through western Montana and into Idaho. The river eventually flows into Lake Pend Oreille and on into the Columbia River. Depending what part of the Clark Fork River you are fishing, you may be catching a variety of species such as salmon, trout, walleye, northern pike, whitefish, smallmouth bass and more.
Craig, MT
Craig, Montana is located in southwest Montana near a bigger city called Great Falls, Montana. Many people will fly into Great Falls, Montana then head over to Craig, Montana for their vacation. In Craig, it is all about the fishing. The town is right on the Missouri River and it is one of the best places to fish on the Missouri River. From the town of Craig upriver to Holter Dam, anglers have access to an amazing tailwater fishery for rainbow trout and brown trout. Rainbow trout are here in much larger numbers, but there are plenty of brown trout to target as well. Quality fish are common with anglers routinely catching fish in the 16 to 20 inch range and bigger fish are possible.
Flathead Lake
Flathead Lake is the hometown lake for Bigfork. While many anglers prefer to visit this area to go trout fishing in the rivers, the lake can be an exciting place to fish as well. Anglers target a variety of fish here but the main species that you will see the guides fish for are lake trout, whitefish, bull trout, yellow perch and northern pike. Other species of trout are here as well with bass available too.
Fort Peck Lake
Fort Peck Lake is the largest lake in Montana measuring 134 miles long and it has 1520 miles of shoreline with a maximum depth of 220 feet. This lake is known for its excellent walleye fishery, however, there are so many species of fish that you can catch here. Salmon, lake trout, northern pike and smallmouth bass are all here in good enough numbers to fish for them and to expect to be able to catch some fish. Crappie and catfish are here too.
Fort Smith, MT
Fort Smith, Montana is a smaller town in Big Horn County, Montana. Bighorn Lake is nearby and it is a large lake that extends about 60 miles through Wyoming and Montana with 55 miles held within Bighorn Canyon. The North District of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is accessed at Fort Smith.
The Bighorn River is home to large concentrations of wild rainbow trout and brown trout. This river is one of the better tailwater fisheries in the west for wild trout. You have a good shot at landing good numbers of fish on your trip with some big fix mixed in as well.
Gallatin River
The Gallatin River is a tributary of the Missouri River. It flows for about 120 miles as it leaves the Yellowstone National Park and heads to Three Forks, Montana where it converges with the Jefferson River and Madison River. The East Gallatin River is a smaller river that starts just east of Bozeman, Montana. It flows north for more than 40 miles before entering the Gallatin River. The fishing is good on both stretches of these rivers. On the Gallatin River, anglers enjoy fishing the clear waters for good numbers of trout. It is not known as a “big fish” river, however, if you want to catch a lot of trout with some beautiful surroundings, this is a great river to fish.
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park provides people a wonderful opportunity to view wildlife in their natural setting with bears, mountain lions, goats, deer and many other species of wildlife roaming the park. Anglers fish many different waters throughout the park. The North Fork and Middle Fork of the Flathead River are popular rivers to fish in the park. There are many other rivers and streams to fish and plenty of lakes to keep you busy all summer long. Anglers target a variety of trout, salmon, char and whitefish in the area rivers, streams and lakes.
Great Falls, MT
Great Falls is often thought of as a base camp for enjoying Montana’s outdoor adventures. It is a decent-sized city that is home to more than 60,000 people and it has an international airport. Some of the better fishing spots are 45 minutes to an hour away, however, there are some access points closer to town that will give you the opportunity to catch some fish. For some people, they would prefer to stay in a larger town for their vacation and just make the 45 minute to hour drive for their fishing adventure. If that sounds like you, Great Falls, Montana is a great place to start your next fishing adventure from.
The Missouri River offers very good fishing as you get to the town of Cascade, Montana and then you follow that all the way up to Holter Dam. The tailwater fishery is amazing below the dam. The Missouri River is an awesome river to fish for rainbow trout with large numbers of them and good-sized fish in the 15 to 20 inch range being common. There is also a good fishery for brown trout in the river as well. If you want to stay closer to the town of Great Falls, Montana, there are some places to catch some fish around town. Giant Springs State Park is a popular spot for anglers since this area is stocked regularly with trout.
Helena, MT
Helena is the capital of Montana and the county seat for Lewis and Clark County. This city is very unique in that it has a nice blend of the past and the present. You will be able to find plenty of hotels and other accommodations in Helena. This city is surrounded by pristine forests and there are plenty of places to experience the great outdoors. Boating and fishing are popular on Holter Lake, Hauser Lake, Canyon Ferry Lake and Spring Meadow Lake. There are also numerous trout streams in the area.
Kootenai River
The Kootenay River or Kootenai River is a major river of the Northwest Plateau in southeastern British Columbia, northern Montana and Idaho. People in Canada refer to the river as the Kootenay River and the people in the United States refer to it as the Kootenai River. This river is a major tributary of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Anglers target a variety of trout such as rainbows, cutthroats, bull trout and brown trout.
Lewistown, Montana
Lewistown, Montana is a small town that is located in the middle of Montana. It is known for its western lifestyle with lots of outdoor recreation. The Missouri River and Judith Rivers give anglers access to excellent trout fishing for rainbow trout and brown trout. Big Spring Creek originates just 7 miles southeast of Lewistown and it runs another 26 miles to where it meets the Judith River. There are also plenty of ponds and small lakes that are managed by the state within a short drive from town.
Livingston / Paradise Valley
Livingston, Montana is a great vacation destination for those who enjoy being outdoors. The surrounding mountain ranges provide some beautiful scenery and the Yellowstone River offers some outstanding fly fishing opportunities for trout. The town of Livingston has plenty of hotels, motels and other types of lodging to go along with some great shops and restaurants. The Yellowstone National Park is nearby which gives you some options for what you can do on a vacation to Livingston, Montana.
Missoula, MT
Missoula is a good-sized city and one of the largest in all of Montana. Missoula is home to the University of Montana. This area is a popular tourist destination, especially among fly fishermen. Missoula is located in a deep valley near the Clark Fork River, the Bitterroot River and the Blackfoot River, which gives fly fishermen a lot of options during their trip to this area. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants and shopping to go along with numerous fishing guides and outfitters to help you catch that fish of a lifetime.
Missouri River
The Missouri River begins at the town of Three Forks, Montana, where the Gallatin, Jefferson, and Madison rivers meet in the Rocky Mountains. The river then flows north, east and south where it eventually ends at the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri. The Missouri River is the longest river in North America, flowing more than 2,300 miles. The fishery changes as it moves from the rocky mountains to St. Louis, Missouri. In the mountains, it is a world class trout fishery. As it flows through the Dakotas, it becomes an excellent walleye fishery with northern pike, catfish and other species too. Once the river flows into the St. Louis area, it becomes more of a catfish fishery, but other fish can be found there too.
Ruby Valley, MT
The Ruby Valley is located in Madison County, Montana. This area is known for its beauty which includes the 20 miles long Ruby River and the Tobacco Root Mountains. The Ruby River is known for its blue ribbon trout fishery for rainbow and brown trout.
Three Forks, MT
Three Forks, Montana is a small town that is located in Gallatin County, Montana. It is located within the watershed valley system of both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers drainage basins. Nearby, you will find Missouri Headwaters State Park, which is where Lewis and Clark discovered the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin Rivers, which created the headwaters of the Missouri River. In this area, camping, hiking, fishing and floating are popular. Anglers have so many options for places to fish with all the water in this area. The fishing is very good for rainbow trout and brown trout with cutthroat trout available as well.
Whitefish, MT
Whitefish, Montana is a very popular vacation destination. It is probably known more as a winter vacation destination because of the skiing, but there is so much to do here during the summers as well. The town is tucked against Big Mountain and the peaks of Glacier National Park. There are plenty of accommodations from hotels, motels, resorts and even vacation home rentals. You will also find plenty of shops and restaurants also.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is a massive wilderness recreation area. Covering almost 3,500 square miles, this park is a national treasure and home to beautiful canyons, rivers, forests, hot springs, geysers and an array of wildlife. If all that wasn’t enough, the fishing can be amazing in the park as well.
Cutthroat trout, Arctic grayling, mountain whitefish and other native fishes are important to the ecology of Yellowstone, however, nonnative fish such as brook trout, brown trout, lake trout and rainbow trout have contributed to the decline of the park’s native fish populations. For the average angler, there isn’t too much concern about whether the fish are native to the park’s waters or not. They are more concerned about what they can catch, how many they can catch and if there are some big fish available too. This park is home to so many species of fish, but there are special fishing regulations that you have to follow while fishing in the park’s borders. Follow the rules and you can get enjoy some excellent fishing for a variety of trout species.
Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River originates high in the interior of the Yellowstone National Park at Yellowstone Lake in Wyoming. The river then flows more than 670 miles to its confluence with the Missouri River. It is not restrained by a single dam on its entire journey. There are a couple hundred miles of this river that are famous for its large numbers of trout to go along with big fish too. Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout all along the Yellowstone River as it flows towards the Missouri River.
