What anglers should know
Montana's FishMT hub connects searchable stocking records with waterbody maps, restrictions, field-guide data, and fisheries reports. It is especially valuable in a state where many famous rivers rely on wild reproduction and therefore are intentionally not stocked.
Stocking is more common in reservoirs, prairie ponds, family fishing waters, and high mountain lakes than in blue-ribbon wild-trout rivers. Native cutthroat and Arctic grayling releases may have conservation goals that differ from put-and-take fishing.
Check the official Montana report
Montana FishMT stocking search is the source of record. Agency schedules can change for weather, water conditions, hatchery operations, or access, so confirm there before driving.
Open Montana FishMT stocking searchStocking report snapshot
Showing 25 of 462 normalized public records. Records with published quantities total 17,458,589 fish.
| Date | Water | Species | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 2026 | Greenough Lake Region 5 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 10.41 in. | 1,499 |
| Aug 24, 2026 | Wild Bill Lake Region 5 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 10.41 in. | 1,499 |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Greenough Lake Region 5 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 9.79 in. | 1,500 |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Canyon Creek Pond Region 5 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 9.79 in. | 50 |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Shiloh Conservation Pond 1 Region 5 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 9.79 in. | 694 |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Anita Reservoir Region 6 | Walleye Avg. 2.24 in. | 5,100 |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Beaver Creek Reservoir Region 6 | Walleye Avg. 2.24 in. | 5,000 |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake Region 6 | Walleye Avg. 2.24 in. | 2,300 |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Lake Frances Region 4 | Walleye Avg. 2.24 in. | 10,200 |
| Jul 30, 2026 | Clark Canyon Reservoir Region 3 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 2.68 in. | 154,216 |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Marias River Chouteau, Glacier, Hill, Liberty, Pondera, Toole | Rainbow Trout Avg. 8.17 in. | 5,004 |
| Jul 8, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake Region 6 | Walleye Avg. 1.87 in. | 18,800 |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Canyon Creek Pond Region 5 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 7.94 in. | 27 |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Shiloh Conservation Pond 1 Region 5 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 7.94 in. | 696 |
| Jul 6, 2026 | Petrolia Reservoir Region 4 | Walleye Avg. 1.6 in. | 20,000 |
| Jul 2, 2026 | Bearpaw Lake (; Beaver Lake) Region 6 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 6.97 in. | 4,000 |
| Jul 2, 2026 | Faber Reservoir Region 6 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 6.97 in. | 2,700 |
| Jul 2, 2026 | Newlan Reservoir Region 4 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 5 in. | 12,893 |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Canyon Ferry Lake Region 4 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 7.06 in. | 14,061 |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Canyon Ferry Lake Region 4 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 6.22 in. | 22,704 |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Canyon Ferry Lake Region 4 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 6.22 in. | 3,027 |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake Region 6 | Walleye Avg. 1.59 in. | 25,300 |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Fort Peck Lake Region 6 | Walleye Avg. 1.58 in. | 51,400 |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Fort Peck Trout Pond Region 6 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 6.7 in. | 5,100 |
| Jul 1, 2026 | Fort Peck Trout Pond Region 6 | Rainbow Trout Avg. 6.97 in. | 1,400 |
Montana FWP FishMT current-year completed stocking records (01-01-2026 through 08-31-2026) normalized with waterbody, county or region, species, quantity, average length in inches, strain, hatchery, LLID coordinates, and planting date; all 462 official rows were retained. This is a dated research snapshot. The official agency page above controls if a row changes.
When stocking happens in Montana
Records are added as seasonal field work is completed, with high-country access and ice controlling much of the calendar. Reservoir fry or fingerling releases may take years to affect angling.
Reading tip
Search the exact water and note the management purpose; absence from the stocking report can be a sign of a healthy wild fishery, not poor fishing.
Fish stocked in Montana
FishMT stocking records include recreational and conservation releases. Species and strains vary by drainage, and native-trout work should not be interpreted as a catchable-fish promise.
- Rainbow Trout
- Brown Trout
- Brook Trout
- Westslope Cutthroat Trout
- Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
- Arctic Grayling
- Kokanee Salmon
- Chinook Salmon
- Walleye
- Tiger Muskie
- Channel Catfish
- Paddlefish
Where to start looking
These are useful geographic starting points, not a promise that every water is stocked this season.
- western mountain lakes
- central reservoirs
- eastern prairie ponds
- Yellowstone drainage
- family fishing waters
Montana stocking questions
Where can I find the latest Montana fish stocking report?
Use the Montana FishMT stocking search published by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. This page links directly to that official source and labels our own records as a dated snapshot, not a live feed.
What fish are stocked in Montana?
Montana stocking sources and program materials identify Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, Arctic Grayling, Kokanee Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Walleye, Tiger Muskie, Channel Catfish, and Paddlefish. FishMT stocking records include recreational and conservation releases. Species and strains vary by drainage, and native-trout work should not be interpreted as a catchable-fish promise.
When does Montana stock fish?
Records are added as seasonal field work is completed, with high-country access and ice controlling much of the calendar. Reservoir fry or fingerling releases may take years to affect angling.