Bighorn Lake and Afterbay Reservoir
The rule for this water, with the receipt.
Special regulations for Bighorn Lake and Afterbay Reservoir, as the state words them
Big Horn County · Lake · MT
Today's rule hereParsed
- Season
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
- Gear
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
- Bait
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
- Poles
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
| Species | Daily limit | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
Brook Trout Varies by water: limit 10 daily and in possession. (Eastern District) | 20 daily and in possession. | - | Statewide |
Lake Trout Varies by water: limit 20 daily and 40 in possession. (Western District); limit 3 daily and 6 in possession. (Eastern District) | 3 daily and in possession. | - | Statewide |
Bass | 10 daily and 20 in possession. | - | This water |
Burbot (ling) | 3 daily and in possession. | - | This water |
Channel catfish | 6 daily and in possession. | - | This water |
Crappie Varies by water: limit No limit. (Western District) | 15 daily and 30 in possession. | - | Statewide |
Northern Pike Varies by water: limit 15 daily, no possession limit. (Western District); limit 15 daily and in possession. (Western Fishing District standard limits) | 10 daily and in possession. | - | Statewide |
Pallid Sturgeon Varies by water: limit None - this is an endangered species and all fish must be released promptly, with little or no delay. (Eastern District, all waters) | None - this is an endangered species and all fish must be released immediately. | - | Statewide |
Salmon (Kokanee & Chinook) Varies by water: limit 5 daily and 10 in possession. (Eastern District) | 10 daily and in possession. | - | Statewide |
Sauger/Walleye Varies by water: limit 5 daily and 10 in possession. (Eastern District) | 5 daily, only 2 may be sauger. Possession limit is 10, only 4 may be sauger. | - | Statewide |
Shovelnose sturgeon | 2 daily and in possession. | - | This water |
Tiger Muskie | 1 daily and in possession, must be over 40 inches. | min. must be over 40 inches | Statewide |
Whitefish | 20 daily and 40 in possession. | - | Statewide |
Cutthroat Trout Varies by water: noneover 12 inches, limit 3 daily and in possession, noneover 12 inches. (Western District, rivers/streams); No size limit. (Western Fishing District standard limits, lakes/reservoirs); None over 12 inches., limit 3 daily and in possession, none over 12 inches. (Western Fishing District standard limits, rivers/streams) | 3 daily and in possession, no sizelimit. | min. no sizelimit | Statewide |
Largemouth Bass Varies by water: Only 1 greater than 12 inches., limit 5 daily and in possession, only 1 greater than 12 inches. (Western Fishing District standard limits); Must be over 22 inches., limit 1 daily and in possession, must be over 22 inches. (Western Fishing District standard limits) | 5 daily and in possession, only 1 greater than 12inches. | min. only 1 greater than 12inches | Statewide |
Smallmouth Bass Varies by water: No size limit all year. (Western Fishing District standard limits) | 15 daily and in possession, no size limit all year. | min. no size limit all year | Statewide |
Kokanee Salmon | 20 daily and 40 in possession. | - | Statewide |
Sturgeon | 0 - All waters are closed to angling for sturgeon. | - | Statewide |
Paddlefish | 1 per season and in possession. | - | Statewide |
Shortnose Gar | 3 per season and in possession. | - | Statewide |
The official text, verbatimOfficial text
Straight from MT's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.
- All fishBait Live bait fish may not be imported into Montana, except by permit for use in Bighorn Lake and Afterbay Reservoir.
- All fishBait Bait fish collected in the Bighorn River drainage of Wyoming may be imported under a permit issued by FWP for use only in Bighorn Lake.For a permit, contact the FWP Fisheries Division at 2300 Lake Elmo Drive, Billings, MT 59105 or call (406) 247-2940.
- All fishBait The non-game fish species listed above may be used as live fish bait only in the following waters
- BassDaily limit 10 daily and 20 in possession.
- Shovelnose sturgeonDaily limit 2 daily and in possession.
- Sauger/walleyeDaily limit 6 daily (only 3 may be sauger) and 12 in possession (only 3 may be sauger).
- Channel catfishDaily limit 6 daily and in possession.
- Burbot (ling)Daily limit 3 daily and in possession.
- All fishGear 2 lines with 2 hooks per line on open water and 6 lines with 1 hook per line through the ice.
- All fishBait Anglers obtaining live bait fish in Montana may use them only in the Montana portion of the lake.
How this answer was assembled
- StatewideStatewide lake rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
- This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
- Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.
Where this rule applies
This water is not yet drawn on the map. Its rules are captured and receipted; the geometry ledger records exactly why it is not drawn (an ambiguous name match or a gap in the source data), and it will never ship as a guess. Each rule above describes in the state's own words where it applies, and those written descriptions are the authoritative boundaries.
What are you fishing for here?Advice
Pick from the species named in Bighorn Lake and Afterbay Reservoir's rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.
Receipts
Local services near Bighorn Lake and Afterbay Reservoir
Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.
Run a shop or guide service on Bighorn Lake and Afterbay Reservoir? Get listed.