Fishing The Bountiful Waters
in Central Montana

Fishing The Bountiful Waters

You'll find wide-open spaces and gracious people everywhere you go. Central Montana is a great place to experience Montana’s plains and mountains, recreational and cultural opportunities, pioneer and Indian life and rugged, Western past. A destination of its own, or stopping point between Glacier National Park to the north and Yellowstone National Park to the south, make us a part of your journey. You won’t be disappointed!

Wet your line in any one of the beautiful waterways of Central Montana. Tease the trout in Big Spring Creek near Lewistown, or the Missouri and Smith Rivers near Great Falls. Pursue the pike and perch in Fresno Reservoir near Havre, Lake Elwell near Shelby, Chester and Conrad and Lake Frances near Valier. Puzzle over the paddlefish…that living fossil inhabiting the Missouri River from Great Falls to Fort Peck Reservoir.

Central Montana is excellent walleye country. To read more, and watch videos, see our special Central Montana Walleye Trail feature.

Click a number on the map below to view fish species and facilities information for each location in the table below the map. Click the location name in the table for more detailed contact and facilities information and driving directions.

Find Fishing Locations and Access Points

Find Fishing Guides

Fishing Locations in Central Montana Milk River Musselshell River Missouri River Hound Creek Sheep Creek Smith River Newlan Creek Reservoir Lake Sutherlin Bair Reservoir Martinsdale Reservoir Deadman's Basin Reservoir Crystal Lake Petrolia Reservoir Warm SPrings Creek Big Spring Creek Judith River Ackley Lake Missouri River Belt Creek Piskun Reservoir Eureka Reservoir Teton River Bynum Reservoir Marias River Grasshopper Reservoir Bearpaw Lake Beaver Creek Reservoir Bailey Reservoir Reser Reservoir Fresno Reservoir Beaver Creek
COLDWATER SPECIES WARMWATER SPECIES FACILITIES

RIVERS
AND STREAMS

MAP NUMBER Brook Trout Mountain Whitefish Lake Whitefish Cutthroat Trout Brown Trout Rainbow Trout Kokanee Salmon Lake Trout Burbot Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Walleye Sauger Northern Pike Shovelnose Sturgeon Channel Catfish Yellow Perch Crappie Paddlefish Vehicle Access Campgrounds Toilets Docks Boat Ramps Motor Restrictions
Beaver Creek 1
Belt Creek 2
Big Spring Creek 3
Hound Creek 4
Judith River 5
Marias River 6
Milk River 7
Missouri River 8
Musselshell River 9
Sheep Creek 10
Smith River 11
Teton River 12
Warm Springs Creek 13

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  COLDWATER SPECIES WARMWATER SPECIES FACILITIES

LAKES
AND RESERVOIRS

MAP NUMBER Brook Trout Mountain Whitefish Lake Whitefish Cutthroat Trout Brown Trout Rainbow Trout Kokanee Salmon Lake Trout Burbot Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Walleye Sauger Northern Pike Shovelnose Sturgeon Channel Catfish Yellow Perch Crappie Paddlefish Vehicle Access Campgrounds Toilets Docks Boat Ramps Motor Restrictions
Ackley Lake 14
Bailey Reservoir 15
Bair Reservoir 16
Bearpaw Lake 17
Beaver Creek Reservoir 18
Bynum Reservoir 19
Crystal Lake 20
Deadman’s Basin Reservoir 21
Eureka Reservoir 22
Faber Reservoir 23
Fresno Reservoir 24
Grasshopper Reservoir 25
Lake Frances 26
Lake Sutherlin 27
Martinsdale Reservoir 28
Newlan Creek Reservoir 29
Petrolia Reservoir 30
Pishkun Reservoir 31
Reser Reservoir 32
Split Rock Lake 33
Tiber Reservoir 34

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Rivers and Streams

1. Beaver Creek: Brook Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets
2. Belt Creek: Brook Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets
3. Big Spring Creek: Mountain Whitefish, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, toilets
4. Hound Creek: Mountain Whitefish, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout
5. Judith River: Brook Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets
6. Marias River: Mountain Whitefish, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Burbot, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Shovelnose Sturgeon, Channel Catfish, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps
7. Milk River: Lake Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, Burbot, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets
8. Missouri River: Mountain Whitefish, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Burbot, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Shovelnose Sturgeon, Channel Catfish, Paddlefish, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, docks, boat ramps, motor restrictions
9. Musselshell River: Brook Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets
10. Sheep Creek: Brook Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets
11. Smith River: Brook Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Burbot, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps, motor restrictions
12. Teton River: Brook Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Cutthroat Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets
13. Warm Springs Creek: Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, vehicle access

Lakes and Reservoirs

14. Ackley Lake: Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps
15. Bailey Reservoir: Largemouth Bass, Norther Pike, Yellow Perch, vehicle access, toilets, boat ramps, motor restrictions
16. Bair Reservoir: Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps
17. Bearpaw Lake: Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, motor restrictions
18. Beaver Creek Reservoir: Rainbow Trout, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps, motor restrictions
19. Bynum Reservoir: Walleye, Yellow Perch, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps
20, Crystal Lake: Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps, motor restrictions
21. Deadman's Basin Reservoir: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee Salmon, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, docks, boat ramps, motor restrictions
22. Eureka Reservoir: Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps
23. Faber Reservoir: Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, toilets, motor restrictions
24. Fresno Reservoir: Lake Whitefish, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, docks, boat ramps
25. Grasshopper Reservoir: Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, motor restrictions
26. Lake Frances: Burbot, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps
27. Lake Sutherlin: Rainbow Trout, Burbot, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps
28. Martinsdale Reservoir: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps
29. Newlan Creek Reservoir: Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps
30. Petrolia Reservoir: Walleye, Norther Pike, Yellow Perch, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps
31. Pishkun Reservoir: Rainbow Trout, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps
32. Reser Reservoir: Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Crappie, vehicle access
33. Split Rock Lake: Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, vehicle access
34. Tiber Reservoir: Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Burbot, vehicle access, campgrounds, toilets, boat ramps