Montana Fish Report

Elk hunting
General Rocky Mountain bull elk 2nd season is open through Nov. 12. Coast bull elk first 1st season opens Nov. 11. Conditions for big game hunting have improved with the rain. See reports below or the Big Game Hunting Forecast for what to expect.

Duck seasons open statewide
Recent cold, wet weather should help put ducks on the move. Seasons are open statewide into January 2018. Check out the waterfowl and upland bird harvest statistics at ODFW wildlife areas.

There’s still time to take a friend hunting
Hunters have until the end of the year to enter the “Take a Friend Hunting” contest. For veteran hunters who want to pass on their passion for the outdoors, this is the year to take that friend hunting—and enter to win a prize for your efforts. Find more details about how to participate.

Fall trout fishing continues
While many west side rivers and streams closed to trout on Oct. 31 in order to protect migrating smolts, many more water bodies remain open to fishing. These include most ponds, lakes, reservoirs and rivers/streams east of the Cascades. Just because sunburn is now off the table is no reason to put the trout gear away!

Find regulation updates in the Recreation Report
You’ll now find fishing regulation updates on the new website at the top of each Fishing Report in the Recreation Report.