Montana Fishing License & Regulations
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Montana — License & Regulations
Agency: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP)
| Resident annual fee | data pending verification |
|---|---|
| Non-resident annual fee | data pending verification |
| Source | verify locally — see Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) current license fees and regulations. |
Size & bag limits (representative)
| Species | Min size | Bag limit | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| All species | — | verify locally | see Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) current fishing regulations. |
License fees and size/bag limits for Montana are pending verification. Each state sets its own resident and nonresident fees and per-species limits — always confirm with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) before fishing.
How the Montana rules fit together
A Montana fishing trip is governed by four separate layers, and they are set by different parts of the same agency. The license establishes that you may fish at all. The statewide size, bag, and possession limits set the default for any water not given special treatment. Waterbody-specific regulations override those defaults on named lakes, rivers, and zones. And season and gear restrictions can close a fishery entirely for part of the year or limit it to artificial lures or catch-and-release.
The order matters. Where a specific water has its own rule, the specific rule wins over the statewide default — so a legal statewide limit does not make a fish legal on a special-regulation lake, and a statewide season does not override a closed section of river. Whatever a summary page tells you, the enforceable answer for the water in front of you comes from the current Montana regulation booklet or the agency’s own site.
Two further layers are easy to miss. A stamp, validation, or report card may be required on top of the license for specific species or waters — you can hold a valid license and still be non-compliant. And aquatic invasive species rules apply to your boat and trailer rather than your catch, which means they can stop the trip at the ramp before a line is ever wet.
Because fees, limits, and seasons are revised annually and often mid-season, treat every number on this page as a starting point dated to the last verification and confirm the current figure with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) before you buy a license or keep a fish.
Montana license, limits and reporting
Drawn from FishFig's verified Montana data layer. Every figure names the agency source it came from, and anything unverified is shown as "verify locally" rather than estimated.
What a Montana fishing license costs
A resident annual license for Montana is $31.00, and the non-resident annual license is $117.50 — a difference of $86.50. The non-resident rate is roughly 3.8 times the resident rate — meaning the license is usually the smallest expense in the trip budget.
Short-term options as published: Resident 2 consecutive-day $15.00 base; Nonresident 1-day $14.00 base (+$10 Conservation +$7.50 AIS = $31.50); Nonresident 5-day $56.00 base (+$10 +$7.50 = $73.50).
At the published short-term prices, a resident annual license breaks even at about 3 single days. Below that trip count the short-term pass is cheaper; above it the annual license is. (Break-even arithmetic from the published fees — confirm current products with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP).)
Saltwater: No saltwater stamp (inland state)..
Senior and reduced-rate options: Resident senior (62+) season $10.50 base (+$4 Conservation +$2 AIS = $16.50); resident youth (12-17) $5.00 base (+$4 Conservation = $9.00).
Separate aquatic-invasive-species stamp: $30 motorized / $10 nonmotorized (nonresident); resident angler AIS pass $2 / $7.50.
Source: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — 2026 Fishing License fees / License Basics (Conservation License and AIS Prevention Pass). https://fwp.mt.gov/
Size and bag limits tracked for Montana
Montana has 13 statewide limits resolved in this tool — Bluegill, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Common Carp, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Largemouth Bass and Muskellunge (Muskie), among 13 in the tracked set. Each entry below carries the agency citation it came from.
Bluegill: bag No limit (not listed in standard limits); season Year-round. Citation: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations (District Standard Limits).
Brook Trout: bag 20 daily / 20 possession (Central District); 10 (Western District); season Year-round; Listed separately from the combined trout limit.. Citation: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations (District Standard Limits).
Brown Trout: bag 5 daily / 10 possession (lakes); 5 daily / 10 possession (rivers, only 1 over 18 in); season Year-round (lakes); Western District rivers 3rd Sat May – Nov 30; Central/Eastern rivers year-round. Citation: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations (District Standard Limits).
Common Carp: bag No limit; season Year-round; Species not listed in the standard limits have no limit.. Citation: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations (District Standard Limits).
Channel Catfish: bag 10 daily / 10 possession; season Year-round. Citation: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations (District Standard Limits).
Crappie: bag 15 daily / 30 possession; season Year-round. Citation: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — 2026 Montana Fishing Regulations (District Standard Limits).
These are statewide general rules only. Slot limits, special-regulation waters, catch-and-release stretches, and zone-by-zone seasons override them — and a general rule that is absent from this list is not the same as no restriction. Confirm the rule for the exact water you are fishing with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) before keeping a fish.
Mandatory harvest reporting in Montana
Montana requires mandatory harvest reporting or registration for specific species. The tracked rule set covers paddlefish.
Reporting window: White/blue tag: report within 48 hours. Yellow/green tag: report by 9 p.m. day of harvest or before transport. How to report: Harvest hotline 877-FWP-WILD or 406-444-0356, or online at myfwp.mt.gov. Tag must be validated immediately upon harvest.. Citation: Montana FWP — 2026 Paddlefish Regulations
A reporting requirement usually attaches to the fish, not the license: you can be fully licensed and still be out of compliance for failing to register a tagged or sensitive species within the stated window. Record the tag number and the date before you leave the water.
Free fishing days in Montana
Reported license-free dates for 2026: May 9–10 & June 20–21, 2026. Most states waive the license only, not the rules — size and bag limits, gear restrictions, seasons, and any required report card still apply, and some states still require a free or zero-cost license to be issued before you fish.
Reported for 2026 by public aggregators and may not match the official state schedule. Always confirm the current year’s dates and any species/stamp exceptions with the agency before planning.
Source: Compiled from 2026 public Free-Fishing-Day roundups (modefreefinds.com, heyitsfree.net, fishkillflea.com). Not an official source — verify with the state agency. (compiled 2026-08-29).
Boat inspection and invasive species rules in Montana
Montana has a tracked aquatic-invasive-species requirement for boaters: Vessel AIS Prevention Pass.
Fee or cost: $30 motorized / $10 nonmotorized (nonresident); resident angler AIS pass $2 / $7.50.
Inspection: Mandatory inspection before launching (stop at all open stations when entering the state).
Montana requires an AIS Prevention Pass for vessels. Motorized/nonmotorized nonresident passes are $30/$10; resident anglers pay $2 (or $7.50 with certain licenses). Vessels must stop at inspection stations when entering MT.
Citation: Montana FWP — AIS Prevention Pass (fwp.mt.gov)
State agency & contact
Licenses, regulations, and stocking are set by the agency below. When FishFig can’t verify a figure, contact them directly.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP)
FishFig is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP). Verify every figure with the agency before purchasing a license, keeping fish, or relying on stocking data.