How to use our fishing calendar
Planning your next fishing trip in Great Falls, United States ? Today is a good day for fishing. Our comprehensive fishing almanac combines our popular solunar tables, moon times, sunrise and sunset times, and a 7-day fishing calendar so you always know the best fishing times in your area. We analyse major and minor solunar bite times, rate each day on a five-star scale, and pair it with localized weather forecasts so you can quickly tell whether today is a good day to fish without juggling multiple tabs. Be sure to bookmark this page so you never miss a bite. view bite times...
- Check our unique Solunar Clock for precise solunar tables and the best moon phases.
- Use the forecast calendar section to sync bite times with major weather changes.
- Analyze the forecasted weather conditions, such as wind, barometric pressure and rain to plan your fishing session.
- Jump to the 7-Day Fishing Calendar for an extended fishing forecast, then explore nearby fishing spots on the interactive map.
Fishing in Great Falls, Montana centers on the legendary Missouri River and a network of productive reservoirs, tailwaters, and prairie ponds. Anglers target wild trout, powerful walleye, chunky smallmouth bass, and panfish in year-round fisheries that reward precise presentations and solid river-reading skills. read more...
Sun and Moon Times
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Nautical Twilight begins:Sunrise:
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Sunset:Nautical Twilight ends:
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Moonrise:
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Moonset:
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Moon over:
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Moon under:
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Visibility:19%
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Waning Crescent
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Distance to earth:365,041 kmProximity:95.5 %
Moon Phases for Great Falls
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good Day
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minor Time:12:32 am - 02:32 am
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major Time:08:47 am - 10:47 am
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minor Time:05:03 pm - 07:03 pm
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major Time:09:06 pm - 11:06 pm
Current Fishing Weather
Wind Speed and Direction
Wind Direction:
Wind Speed:
Wind Direction and Speed are one of the most important aspects for choosing a fishing spot. An offshore wind can help land-based anglers with longer casting distances, while an onshore wind will make kayak fishing safer. Often fish will also move to certain feeding areas depending on the wind direction. Check out the long term wind forecast at the charts below.
Fishing Barometer
Atmospheric Pressure:
Change since midnight:
Trend for next 6 hours:
Atmospheric or Barometric Pressure affects fish activity. The best fishing can be had on a rising barometer and also the time just before it is falling. A steady barometer in the higher ranges can also mean good fishing. A falling or low barometer reading without much change is usually not a very good time for fishing.
UV Effect on Fishing
As a rule of thumb, the higher the UV index, the deeper fish will move. Shallow water fishing is best done at times with a low UV index. When the UV is high, stick to early mornings, late evenings and shaded areas. The effect is less noticable in deeper water, but often a higher UV index can produce good results in the deep.
7 Day Fishing Weather
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 New Moon |
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 Waxing Crescent |
Fishing Overview Great Falls
Great Falls, Montana sits on one of the finest multi-species fisheries in the West, with the Missouri River and a chain of dams providing diverse water for both fly and conventional anglers. The key to consistent success is matching tactics to the section you’re fishing—fast tailwater, slack reservoir bay, or warm prairie tributary.
Seasonally, trout and walleye drive most fishing decisions around Great Falls. Late March through June, the Missouri below Black Eagle, Rainbow, and Morony dams turns on as water temps rise. Rainbows and browns slide into riffles and seams, while pre-spawn walleye prowl channel edges and current breaks. Summer brings reliable early-morning and evening bites, with trout feeding on caddis and PMDs and warmwater species like smallmouth, pike, and panfish pushing into weeds and rocky shorelines. Fall is prime for big browns and walleye as they bulk up ahead of winter; focus on mid-depth breaks and slower current. In winter, tailwaters stay fishable under ice-cold flows, while reservoirs like Holter and nearby smaller lakes offer steady ice fishing for perch, walleye, and pike.
Habitat types around Great Falls are varied and very specific. Tailwater sections of the Missouri feature long riffles, deep mid-river slots, and soft inside bends. Trout stack where fast water spills into depth—target the first 3–10 feet below obvious current seams. Walleye favor the deeper troughs, wing-dam edges, and broken rock along outside bends. Reservoirs and impoundments have flooded timber, rocky points, and weedbeds; smallmouth use rock and current, while pike, perch, and panfish stick tight to weeds and submerged structure. Prairie ponds and smaller lakes around town are shallower and weedier—ideal for largemouth, bluegill, and summer-evening topwater action.
Common techniques must match both flow and species. For trout in the Missouri, most locals rely on indicator nymphing with sowbugs, scuds, midge and mayfly nymphs on 4X–5X tippet, ticking the bottom in thigh-deep runs. On overcast days or when water bumps up, streamers like olive or black buggers and articulated patterns swung off the bank produce larger fish; use a sink-tip and cast quartering downstream. Dry-fly fishing centers on midges in late winter, BWOs in spring, and caddis and PMDs in early summer—work slicks behind rocks and tailouts of riffles.
Walleye and warmwater tactics are built around structure, depth, and speed control. In the river and downstream reservoirs, vertical jigging with 1/8–3/8 oz jigs tipped with minnows or plastics is the day-in, day-out standard. Drag or hop jigs slowly upstream along the bottom edge of channels and rock transitions. Trolling crankbaits along contour breaks in 8–20 feet of water is deadly in spring and fall; in summer, focus on low-light periods or wind-blown shorelines. Smallmouth bass respond well to tubes, Ned rigs, and small crankbaits worked around riprap, bridge pilings, and rocky points.
For bank anglers around Great Falls, concentrate on the downstream sides of dams, public access points with obvious current changes, and reservoir points that reach deeper water. Travel light with a medium spinning rod, a small box of jigs, inline spinners, and a couple of crankbaits to cover trout, walleye, and bass. Boat anglers should watch their sonar closely for bait and depth changes and keep a marker on productive breaks, especially on Holter and other nearby reservoirs.
Fine-tuning your approach makes a big difference here: fish slightly heavier tippet for big browns and pike, downsize and lengthen leaders for pressured trout in low, clear water, and always adjust weight and jig size until you’re just ticking bottom—not plowing it. With the right seasonal timing and a structure-first mindset, the Great Falls area can produce consistent action and trophy-class fish across multiple species.
Interactive Fishing Map for the greater Great Falls area
We found a total of 40 potential fishing spots nearby Great Falls. Below you can find them organized on a map. Points, Headlands, Reefs, Islands, Channels, etc can all be productive fishing spots. As these are user submitted spots, there might be some errors in the exact location. You also need to cross check local fishing regulations. Some of the spots might be in or around marine reserves or other locations that cannot be fished. If you click on a location marker it will bring up some details and a quick link to google search, satellite maps and fishing times. Tip: Click/Tap on a new area to load more fishing spots.
Sun River - 1.02242512118km , Sacajawea Island - 2.06189638763km , Park Island - 2.12850992171km , Black Eagle Dam - 3.57363063634km , Taylor Island - 3.72453323525km , White Bear Islands - 4.59082791234km , Steamboat Island - 5.58013870039km , Sand Coulee Creek - 5.65379779143km , Roe River - 6.55022677211km , Rainbow Dam - 8.15670495207km , Buckshot Island - 8.69957833646km , Sheffels Reservoir Dam - 9.15568120935km , Fisher Island - 10.07893673308km , Cochrane Dam - 12.85960907826km , Black Horse Lake - 13.49676468303km , Payton Place Dam - 13.6735091559km , Prairie Nest Ranch 2 Dam - 14.16932359489km , Elder Elmer Dam - 16.15754795081km , Sunny Bueno Dam - 16.44975386432km , Smith River - 16.50876942695km , Dick Golie Wildlife Dam - 18.55214428629km , Benton Lake - 18.73523548029km , W C Eustance Number 1 Dam - 19.26057174503km , Charlotts Webb Dam - 19.87257482382km , Morony Dam - 20.20838916603km , Shellrock Creek - 20.42067776631km , Sand Dollars Dam - 20.83445882108km , O'Day Number 1 Dam - 21.20664896632km , Neuman Dam - 21.40060823777km , Prairie Nest Ranch 1 Dam - 21.84406394451km , Belt Creek - 21.8782965873km , Prairie Nest Ranch 3 Dam - 22.06313519018km , Prairie Nest Ranch 4 Dam - 22.14156174668km , O'Day Number 2 Dam - 22.27381698017km , Neuman Number 2 Dam - 23.90423766199km , Eidel Salo Dam - 23.95872659124km , Big Dumb Bunny Dam - 24.20628212158km , Toy Box Dam - 25.64051243873km , Geyser Creek - 26.30254062476km , Dry Fork Fairhaven Number 2 Dam - 26.5064551572km
Harbours and
Marinas
Beaches
Bays
Wharfs
Points,Reefs,etc
Latest Catches
uploaded by: Charlie Pifer
uploaded by: Charlie Pifer
uploaded by: Charlie Pifer
uploaded by: Russell Gray
uploaded by: Russell Gray
uploaded by: John Matthews
uploaded by: MAD MUSKY WATER SPORTS RENTALS Stacy Ellard Owner
uploaded by: Charlie Pifer
uploaded by: Charlie Pifer
uploaded by: Charlie Pifer
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