General Montana Fishing Information

The fishing regulations in Montana vary widely from river to river as well as from season to season. Any angler who will be fishing in Montana will receive a copy of the regulations when they purchase a fishing license. It is extremely important to look closely at the regulations for whatever river you will be fishing to avoid unpleasant problems with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Photo Use Guidelines

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks also have the statewide fishing regulations posted online. View Montana Fishing Regulations Online.

Also be familiar with the Montana Stream Access Law before heading out to fish in Montana for the first time. The Stream Access Law defines the right of anglers and floaters to use the rivers in Montana, as well as where you can access these rivers. We have a special section detailing this law on this site, and encourage you to visit our Stream Access Law section before heading out fishing.

Finally, the State of Montana has acquired hundreds of parcels of land along prime fishing and recreational use rivers. These are called Fishing Access Sites (FAS). Each river profiled in Big Sky Fishing.Com lists the fishing access sites that are located along it, and provides a direct link to that fishing access sites specific information. To view all the Fishing Access Sites that are available in Montana, not just for a specific river, you can visit the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website.

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