A person who owns or lawfully controls a private fish pond may obtain a license from FWP to stock the pond with fish. Only lawfully purchased fish may be planted.
Approved fish hatcheries (aka commercial fish ponds) for purchasing fish for private ponds:
2019 Commercial Ponds in Montana 63 KB
Some additional sources of information are listed below:
A Guide to Building and Managing Private Fish Ponds in Montana
The purpose of this handbook is to provide the prospective pond builder with an overview of the process of planning, permitting, constructing, and managing a successful private fish pond. For those considering building a pond, several sources of information are listed in the references at the end of this guide.
A Guide to Building and Managing Private Fish Ponds in Montana 420 KB
Registration of Koi or Goldfish Ponds
Koi and goldfish are controlled exotic fish species that can be legally kept indoors in an aquarium or outdoors in ponds that meet certain criteria. Such ponds must be registered with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. For stocking of other fish species in ponds please contact your local FWP office.
Private Ponds License Search
Search for existing private pond licenses by name, business name, or license number.
No fishing license is required to fish on licensed, privately stocked fish ponds. Fishing license requirements apply to all other ponds and/or waters on private land.