Montana Fishing License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy
A Montana fishing license costs $21 for a resident adult and $100 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-11-06).
Montana's season fishing license is only one of three things you legally need: a conservation license and an Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Pass sit underneath it. The number on the fishing license line is not the number you pay at the counter.
Base season fishing license only. A Conservation License and Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention Pass are also legally required: resident total is $31 ($8 + $2 + $21), non-resident total is $117.50 ($10 + $7.50 + $100). Resident seniors 62+ pay $10.50 for the fishing license portion.
Fee last verified 2026-11-06.
Heading out for Montana fishing? Game wardens require carrying physical or digital license proof and valid tags. Equip yourself with a waterproof license and tag pouch, rechargeable wide-beam LED headlamp, and corrosion-resistant multi-tool pliers before your trip.
What a Montana fishing license costs
The season fishing license is $21 resident / $100 non-resident. Add the Conservation License ($8 resident / $10 non-resident) and the AIS Prevention Pass ($2 resident / $7.50 non-resident): resident total is $31, non-resident total is $117.50. Resident seniors 62 and older pay $10.50 for the fishing license portion. Two-day and 10-day non-resident licenses exist for a short trip.
Conservation license and AIS pass
The conservation license is the foundation FWP uses for almost every other privilege. The AIS Prevention Pass funds inspection stations meant to keep invasive mussels out of Montana waters. Both are legally required for anglers, not optional add-ons, which is why FWP's own fee tables show the stacked total rather than the fishing license in isolation.
How to buy your Montana fishing license
FWP's fishing license pages and authorized agents. Buy the conservation license and AIS pass in the same transaction as the season license so you are not missing a piece at the boat ramp.
Fishing in Montana: what to expect
The Madison, Yellowstone, Missouri and Bighorn are the famous trout rivers, and they fish like famous rivers: pressure, guides, and regulations that change by stretch. Western Montana is full of less-photographed rivers and mountain lakes that fish as well with a fraction of the boats. Warmwater fishing exists on the eastern reservoirs, but it is not why most non-residents buy the license.
Best times to fish in Montana
Runoff typically blows out the big freestones in May and June; tailwaters and spring creeks are the play then. Salmonfly hatches on the Madison and Yellowstone, when they hit, are late June into July depending on the year. Fall, once water drops and browns start to move, is the most consistent dry-fly and streamer fishing on many rivers.
Conservation License, AIS pass and the real total
The $21 resident or $100 non-resident season fishing license is only one of three required pieces. A Conservation License and an Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Pass are also legally required. Resident total is $31 ($8 + $2 + $21). Non-resident total is $117.50 ($10 + $7.50 + $100). Resident seniors 62 and older pay $10.50 for the fishing license portion. Quote the stack when you compare Montana with a $50 Midwest non-resident license that is actually the whole bill.
Short-term licenses exist for visitors who will not fish a full season. They still need the Conservation License and AIS pass. A boat coming from out of state also needs to think about AIS inspection stations on the highways; the pass is not the same thing as a clean, drained, dry inspection.
Madison, Missouri and the eastern reservoirs
The Madison, Missouri, Yellowstone and Bighorn are the famous trout rivers, with stretch-specific rules (artificial only, slot limits, seasonal closures) that are stricter than the statewide baseline. A season license gets you on the water. The regulation for that river, that stretch, that month is what you can keep. Buy the regs booklet or download it before you leave cell service in Ennis.
Eastern reservoirs and prairie rivers are a different trip: walleye, pike, smallmouth, and fewer Instagram crowds. The same three-part license stack applies. Ice fishing is a real season on those reservoirs, and the AIS rules do not take a winter holiday. If you trailered from North Dakota, expect to show the pass and, at times, an inspection.
How to renew a Montana fishing license
There is no separate renewal process in Montana. A fishing license is not extended in place; when it expires you buy a new one for the next license year through the same system you used the first time, and your customer profile, hunter or angler ID and any saved payment details carry over so the second purchase takes a couple of minutes.
The fastest route is the official Montana online licensing portal, which also lets you print or download the new license and add any stamps, tags or endorsements in one transaction. In-person license agents (sporting goods stores, bait shops and, in many states, county clerks) sell the same license at the same price, so use whichever is closer. Buying before the old license lapses is not required, but it avoids an accidental gap if a season opens before you get round to it.
Planning more than one? See the Montana hunting license page too, see how much a fishing license costs in every state, compare non-resident fishing fees across states, browse every state, or use the state license finder.