Sit it outno walleye window clears the bar in 36 hours
Wind builds to 22 mph out of the east-southeast by today at 4:00 pm.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now
Walleye range 50–72°
From the east · rough for small boats
Sunrise 7:41 am
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Montana Eastern District regulations for these waters.
No water reading here right now. Walleye bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 10–40 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Eastern District: 5 walleye and sauger a day, only 2 sauger; 10 in possession, only 4 sauger.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Montana Eastern District
Season here: Apr–May, Oct–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on walleye
No water reading here right now. Northern pike bite in 50–70° water, best near 63°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 4–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Eastern District: 10 northern pike a day and in possession.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Montana Eastern District
Season here: Year-round. More on northern pike
No water reading here right now. Smallmouth bass bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Eastern District: 5 bass a day and in possession.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Montana Eastern District
Season here: Apr–Oct, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on smallmouth bass
No water reading here right now. Chinook salmon bite in 42–58° water, best near 50°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 15–150 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Eastern District: 5 salmon (chinook and kokanee combined) a day, 10 in possession.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Montana Eastern District
Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon
No water reading here right now. Lake trout bite in 40–52° water, best near 48°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 30–200 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Eastern District: 3 lake trout a day, 6 in possession.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Montana Eastern District
Season here: Sep–Jun. More on lake trout
No water reading here right now. Channel catfish bite in 60–85° water, best near 75°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 5–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Eastern District: 10 channel catfish a day, 20 in possession.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Montana Eastern District
Season here: May–Oct, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on channel catfish
No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 1–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Montana Eastern District: species not listed in the district limits table, carp included, have no limit on the number taken or possessed.
Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Montana Eastern District
Last checked 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: May–Oct, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on common carp
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Montana FWP has the state’s fishing pages.
Licenses and rules: Montana FWP · fish-consumption advisories
One of the largest reservoirs in the United States — a 134-mile Missouri River impoundment behind Fort Peck Dam, with more shoreline than the California coast. A trophy multi-species fishery: walleye and smallmouth bass on the structure, northern pike in the bays, channel catfish, lake trout in the cold depths, and the region’s premier landlocked chinook salmon.
Eastern District: 5 walleye and sauger a day (only 2 sauger), 10 pike, 5 bass, 3 lake trout, 5 salmon, 10 channel catfish. Chinook may be snagged Oct 1–Nov 30, and chinook and lake trout speared through the ice Dec 1–Mar 31.
The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Fort Peck Lake you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Fort Peck Lake is listed on this site for 7 commonly-targeted species: Walleye, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Chinook Salmon, and 3 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Fort Peck Lake against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Fort Peck Lake has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Eastern District: 5 walleye and sauger a day (only 2 sauger), 10 pike, 5 bass, 3 lake trout, 5 salmon, 10 channel catfish. Chinook may be snagged Oct 1–Nov 30, and chinook and lake trout speared through the ice Dec 1–Mar 31.
state agency regulations apply at Fort Peck Lake. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. Fort Peck Lake is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
