Montana
Fishing
A resident fishing license in Montana costs $28 a year and a non-resident license $111, as of May 2026. This guide lists 5 top species (Cutthroat trout, Brown trout, Rainbow trout, Brook trout, Grayling) and 5 notable waters, led by Madison River and Missouri River. Montana has no saltwater coast and a notable wild trout fishery; it earns an A+ grade here, shared with 4 other states.
Top Species
Resident License
Non-Resident License
Saltwater Access
Trout Streams
World-Class Distinction
Wildlife Agency
Montana is fly fishing's spiritual center. The Madison River between Quake Lake and Ennis is among the most famous trout rivers on earth. The Yellowstone through Paradise Valley holds wild cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout in a setting that has not fundamentally changed in a century. The Missouri River below Holter Dam is a technically demanding spring creek environment that grows enormous rainbow trout. Flathead Lake holds bull trout, lake trout, and westslope cutthroat in the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi.
The fish are wild. A 20-inch brown trout on the Madison is a realistic expectation on a good day, not a fantasy. Arctic grayling persist in the Big Hole River in one of their last strongholds in the lower 48.
Resident licenses cost $28. Non-residents pay $111. If you move to Montana for fishing, you are making a life decision that thousands of anglers have made deliberately. The guides on the Madison, Yellowstone, and Missouri are skilled and numerous — the economy of several small towns runs on fishing tourism. The shoulder seasons — October through November for browns spawning, March through April before runoff — are when serious anglers go.
Montana is the trout fishing capital of the contiguous US. The Madison, Missouri, and Yellowstone rivers are among the world's most famous fly fishing destinations. Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. Non-resident license costs ($111) reflect the premium access.
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Also on Montana: the full Montana profile covers taxes, cost of living, crime and schools, and the county map lets you compare every county in the state. For related rules, read the Montana country music guide and the Montana gambling laws guide.
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Sources: State wildlife agencies, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bassmaster, Field & Stream, In-Fisherman, Fly Fisherman magazine. License costs reflect annual resident/non-resident fishing license only; additional stamps (trout, salmon) may apply. Updated May 2026.