Stretching from the shortgrass prairie south of the Canadian border to the fertile cropland along the Milk and Missouri rivers, Region 6 offers recreational opportunities as limitless as the eastern Montana horizon.
Antelope and mule deer inhabit the open and rougher terrain. White-tailed deer abound along rivers and streams, and world-class elk and bighorn sheep herds inhabit the Missouri River Breaks along sprawling Fort Peck Reservoir. The productive Prairie Pothole region produces thousands of ducks and geese. Pheasants are found in agricultural areas, and native sharp-tailed and sage grouse are plentiful in grassy and prairie habitat.
Anglers target walleye, northern pike, Chinook salmon, lake trout and smallmouth bass in Fort Peck Reservoir, and the Missouri River both above and below the lake offers great fishing for a variety of native and introduced species. Smaller reservoirs, such as Nelson near Malta and Fresno and Beaver Creek near Havre, provide more good fishing.
Hunters and anglers rarely experience crowding in this least populous region of the state, but the communities along Montana's Hi-Line offer plenty of accommodations and amenities for visitors and residents alike.
Kids to Fish
Fort Peck Reservoir Fisheries Management Plan 2012–2022
The Fort Peck Fisheries Management Plan will guide the Department's management activities on the reservoir for the next 10 years. Included in this plan are prescriptions for managing the major game species, including walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, sauger, lake trout and Chinook salmon. The prescriptions for each species include goals for stocking, goals for population size, goals for angler catch rates, and research needs. The plan also discusses the management approach for fishing tournaments, water quality and zooplankton monitoring, and dealing with aquatic invasive species.
