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Montana · Smallmouth bass

Can you keep a smallmouth bass in Montana?

Yes, with limits

Western District (includes Flathead Lake)

Open year-round
Size
No size limit stated
total length
Daily bag
15
per person per day
Possession
15
total you may hold

No minimum size, fifteen a day — three times the largemouth bag in the same district.

FWP source page

Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park boundary to Springdale Bridge FAS

Open year-round
Size
No size limit stated
total length
Daily bag
no numeric limit — mandatory total removal

The opposite of every other bag limit on this page: not a cap on how many you may keep, but a requirement to keep and report every single one caught, because smallmouth bass are not supposed to be in this stretch of the Yellowstone at all.

FWP source page

What we left out on purpose

Other species in Montana

You also need a Montana fishing license →

Where to try today