Fly Fishing in Montana

A regional note specific to this state: the trout water here is dominated by a single high-quality tailwater that runs through a desert canyon, and the state agency manages that tailwater as a trophy fishery, which is why the average fish size is large and the regulations are strict. Montana trout fishing is the most famous in the country, and the only state where an angler can plan a year around the diversity of its freestone rivers and tailwaters. The state has more than 20,000 miles of fishable trout water, including the legendary Madison, the Big Hole, the Bighorn, the Yellowstone, the Missouri, and dozens more. The most famous freestone river is the Madison, a tailwater-like freestone that runs through the high-country plateau of southwestern Montana and produces wild browns and rainbows averaging 16 inches. The state's trout program is administered through the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and the agency stocks the put-and-take lakes while managing the wild trout water through a combination of slot limits and special regulations. A regular Montana fishing license is required, and the cost is $31 for residents and $106 for non-residents, and the daily limit is 5 trout combined in most waters with special regulations on the wild trout water. The unique regional quirk is that Montana requires a special aquatic invasive species prevention pass for all out-of-state anglers, and the daily limit is 3 trout in the special regulation water of the Big Hole.