Best Fishing Times in Montana This Week
Near Missoula, Ennis and Fort Peck: today on a 24 hour timeline and the next seven days rated Fair to Best.
Working out the moon and the sun for Missoula, MT, and reading the forecast.
Fishing somewhere else? Enter any ZIP for your own spot
Photo: “Fall fishing on the Madison River at sunrise”, Jacob W. Frank, Yellowstone National Park (NPS), Public domain
Montana at a glance
Solunar windows plus the agency calendarWhen fish bite in Montana
Montana's fishing year runs from Fort Peck walleye in late spring and early summer and the salmonfly hatch from mid May to early July, to aggressive fall browns and Georgetown Lake ice until March 31.
Each entry below is from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks or its published guides, quoted word for word and linked. Line the season up with the week above: a run in its prime and a Great day with a window at first light is the morning to take off.
- Late spring and early summer
Walleye
Fort Peck's large walleye are best caught in late spring and early summer, when they are fairly shallow and feeding aggressively.
“Headley says the best time to catch Fort Peck’s large walleyes is late spring and early summer, when they are relatively shallow and feeding aggressively.”
Welcome To Walleye Fishing, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (Montana Outdoors), read October 9, 2026 - Mid-May to early July
Trout (salmonfly hatch)
The salmonfly hatch runs from mid May to early July, depending on the river and stretch.
“When to fish: The hatch runs from mid-May to early July, depending on the river and stretch.”
Salmonflies, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (Montana Outdoors), read October 9, 2026 - Fall
Brown trout
In fall, brown trout turn territorial and aggressive while big rainbows and cutthroat feed up for winter, and all of them attack streamers.
“That’s especially true in fall, when browns become territorially aggressive and big rainbows and cutthroat beef up in preparation for the cold, hard times of winter, all of them attacking streamers with abandon.”
Chucking Big Buggers, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (Montana Outdoors), read October 9, 2026 - Ice season, until March 31
Kokanee and rainbow trout
Georgetown Lake has good ice fishing all season, with ice on until March 31, for kokanee and rainbow trout.
“Georgetown Lake has good fishing all season (ice on until March 31) for kokanee and rainbow trout, also, opportunities for trophy brook trout.”
Ice Fishing In Montana | Montana FWP, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, read October 9, 2026
Reading the Montana timeline
Each day has two major solunar periods of about two hours, centered on the moon overhead and underfoot, and two minor periods of about an hour at moonrise and moonset. A window within an hour of sunrise or sunset is marked in gold. The rating adds the moon phase, the gold windows and a capped nudge from the National Weather Service forecast for each town. Every factor and its points.
Dawn and dusk are the reliable part; the moon windows are the old angler’s rule.
