Fishing The Bountiful Waters
in Central Montana

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.
COLDWATER SPECIES | WARMWATER SPECIES | FACILITIES | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
RIVERS |
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 | ![]() |
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Belt Creek | 2 | ![]() |
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Big Spring Creek | 3 | ![]() |
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Hound Creek | 4 | ![]() |
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Judith River | 5 | ![]() |
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Marias River | 6 | ![]() |
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Milk River | 7 | ![]() |
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Missouri River | 8 | ![]() |
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Musselshell River | 9 | ![]() |
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Sheep Creek | 10 | ![]() |
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Smith River | 11 | ![]() |
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Teton River | 12 | ![]() |
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Warm Springs Creek | 13 | ![]() |
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COLDWATER SPECIES | WARMWATER SPECIES | FACILITIES | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
LAKES |
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 | ![]() |
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Bailey Reservoir | 15 | ![]() |
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Bair Reservoir | 16 | ![]() |
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Bearpaw Lake | 17 | ![]() |
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Beaver Creek Reservoir | 18 | ![]() |
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Bynum Reservoir | 19 | ![]() |
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Crystal Lake | 20 | ![]() |
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Deadman’s Basin Reservoir | 21 | ![]() |
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Eureka Reservoir | 22 | ![]() |
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Faber Reservoir | 23 | ![]() |
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Fresno Reservoir | 24 | ![]() |
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Grasshopper Reservoir | 25 | ![]() |
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Lake Frances | 26 | ![]() |
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Lake Sutherlin | 27 | ![]() |
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Martinsdale Reservoir | 28 | ![]() |
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Newlan Creek Reservoir | 29 | ![]() |
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Petrolia Reservoir | 30 | ![]() |
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Pishkun Reservoir | 31 | ![]() |
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Reser Reservoir | 32 | ![]() |
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Split Rock Lake | 33 | ![]() |
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Tiber Reservoir | 34 | ![]() |
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