Marias River Fish Stocking
Montana · 1940–2023 on record
According to Montana fish & wildlife agency, Marias River was last stocked September 14, 2023 with Brown Trout. Marias River has 247 stocking records on file, spanning 1940–2023, with about 3,632,424 fish stocked over that period.
When Marias River is stocked
Marias River is typically stocked in summer and fall, most often in July — 69 stocking events in that peak month.
By species
Angler's Field Guide
Fishing Tips & Stocking Guide for Marias River
Practical advice on fish behavior, recommended tackle, and state regulations for anglers fishing in Montana.
Post-Plant Behavior & Timing
Hatchery-raised fish are conditioned to pelleted feed and open raceways. Following a release into Marias River, they typically congregate in schools near public access points, boat ramps, or inlets for the first 24 to 48 hours while adjusting to natural water conditions.
Since Marias River was last stocked September 14, 2023, anglers visiting within 1 to 2 weeks of a reported event generally experience the highest activity before fish disperse into deeper cover.
State Regulations & Licensing
- •Fishing License: A valid Montana freshwater fishing license is required for anglers age 16 and older.Purchase Montana license online →
- •Official Rules & Limits: Bag limits, bait restrictions, and seasonal boundaries are set by Montana fish & wildlife agency.Official Montana regulations guidebook →
- •Ethical Conservation: Use barbless hooks and keep fish submerged in water during unhooking.Trout Thermal Advisory: When water temperatures rise above 68°F (20°C), released trout face severe mortality from thermal exhaustion. Target warmwater species or fish early in the morning when lakes and streams warm up.
Recommended Tackle & Presentations
Techniques tailored to the species stocked in Marias River:
Stocked Trout Tactics
Use light 4–6 lb monofilament or fluorocarbon line. Float scented dough bait (PowerBait) 12–18" off bottom using a sliding slip-sinker rig with a size 14–16 treble hook. For active casting, throw 1/16 to 1/8 oz inline spinners (Panther Martin, Rooster Tail) or small spoons (Kastmaster) along drop-offs.
Catfish Rigging
Fish a Carolina slip-sinker bottom rig with a 1/2 to 1 oz egg sinker, swivel, and 1/0–3/0 circle hook. Baits such as chicken liver, cut baitfish (shad), nightcrawlers, and stink baits produce best during early morning, dusk, or night in deeper holes.
Bass & Panfish Approach
Target visible structure such as docks, weed lines, and fallen trees. Small 1/32 to 1/16 oz jig heads with soft plastic grubs or live worms under a float work well for crappie and bluegill; soft plastic worms or spinnerbaits work well for bass.
Kokanee & Salmon Tactics
Troll small dodgers followed by micro-hoochies or wedding ring spinners tipped with shoepeg corn. Use downriggers or lead-core line to reach cooler thermocline depths (typically 20–50 ft in summer).
Brown Trout Profile Tips
Known for being wary and selective, brown trout are a prized target for fly anglers, especially larger, nocturnal-feeding fish.
Rainbow Trout Profile Tips
The most commonly targeted stocked trout in the country, taken on bait, spinners, and flies alike; a common first fish for new anglers.
Recommended Tackle for Marias River
Field-tested tackle and presentations matched to the species stocked here.
Berkley PowerBait Floating Trout Dough
Hatchery-raised trout are conditioned to pelleted scents; scented dough floated 12–18 inches off bottom consistently triggers strikes.
Panther Martin Classic Teardrop Inline Spinner
The heavy convex blade spins instantly upon retrieval, sending vibration through the water that triggers aggressive reaction bites along drop-offs.
Sliding Sinker & Treble Hook Rigging Kit
Sliding egg sinkers allow cautious trout to run with bait without feeling line drag, while size 14–16 treble hooks keep dough bait securely pinned.
Heavy Duty Offset Circle Hooks (1/0–3/0)
Circle hooks naturally turn into the corner of a catfish's jaw as it turns, preventing gut-hooking and improving hookup rates.
As an Amazon Associate, StockedWaters earns from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Recommendations are chosen for hatchery-conditioned fish behavior and ethical rigging. We may receive a referral commission if you buy through these links. Read our editorial policy & standards.
Nearby stocked waters
Other stocked waters near Marias River, freshest activity first.
Leningtons Reservoir
10 mi5 species · 62 records
Last stocked October 2025
Schoonover Reservoir 2
5 mi4 species · 14 records
Last stocked August 2025
Crow Coulee Reservoir
11 mi4 species · 18 records
Last stocked June 2025
Diacon Pond
12 mi1 species · 6 records
Last stocked June 2021
Courtnage Reservoir #1
18 mi1 species · 27 records
Last stocked June 2003
Schoonover Reservoir 1
6 mi4 species · 7 records
Last stocked August 1994
Stocking history
Most recent stockings first. Dates shown at the precision the agency reported.
| Date | Species | Number | Size | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 14, 2023 | Brown Trout | 5,640 | 6.6" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 14, 2023 | Brown Trout | 5,640 | 6.6" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| July 17, 2014 | Rainbow Trout | 5,986 | 9.13" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| July 17, 2014 | Rainbow Trout | 4,068 | 7.95" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 16, 2013 | Rainbow Trout | 5,183 | 6.19" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 16, 2013 | Rainbow Trout | 5,183 | 6.19" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| July 12, 2013 | Rainbow Trout | 4,979 | 7.87" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| July 12, 2013 | Rainbow Trout | 4,979 | 7.87" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
Show 42 more stocking records →
| Date | Species | Number | Size | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 18, 2012 | Rainbow Trout | 117 | 6.7" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 18, 2012 | Rainbow Trout | 117 | 6.7" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 18, 2012 | Rainbow Trout | 9,955 | 3.92" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 18, 2012 | Brown Trout | 4,527 | 6.9" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 18, 2012 | Brown Trout | 4,527 | 6.9" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 18, 2012 | Rainbow Trout | 9,955 | 3.92" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| August 16, 2012 | Brown Trout | 5,276 | 5.72" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| August 16, 2012 | Brown Trout | 5,276 | 5.72" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| October 3, 2011 | Rainbow Trout | 9,882 | 4.13" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| October 3, 2011 | Rainbow Trout | 9,882 | 4.13" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| June 22, 2011 | Rainbow Trout | 9,988 | 7.83" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| June 22, 2011 | Rainbow Trout | 9,988 | 7.83" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 15, 2010 | Rainbow Trout | 9,450 | 5.7" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 15, 2010 | Rainbow Trout | 9,450 | 5.7" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 13, 2010 | Brown Trout | 11,078 | 7.29" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 13, 2010 | Brown Trout | 11,078 | 7.29" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 8, 2010 | Brown Trout | 10,019 | 7.3" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| June 23, 2010 | Rainbow Trout | 1,013 | 8.22" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| June 23, 2010 | Rainbow Trout | 9,077 | 7.79" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| June 23, 2010 | Rainbow Trout | 1,013 | 8.22" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| June 23, 2010 | Rainbow Trout | 9,077 | 7.79" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| April 1, 2010 | Brown Trout | 1,938 | 9.21" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| April 1, 2010 | Brown Trout | 2,424 | 9.46" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| April 1, 2010 | Brown Trout | 1,938 | 9.21" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| April 1, 2010 | Brown Trout | 2,424 | 9.46" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| March 31, 2010 | Brown Trout | 2,535 | 9.28" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| March 31, 2010 | Brown Trout | 2,172 | 9.12" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| March 31, 2010 | Brown Trout | 2,535 | 9.28" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| March 31, 2010 | Brown Trout | 2,172 | 9.12" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 24, 2009 | Rainbow Trout | 10,041 | 4" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 24, 2009 | Rainbow Trout | 10,041 | 4" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 22, 2009 | Pallid Sturgeon | 10,769 | 5" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 22, 2009 | Pallid Sturgeon | 10,769 | 5" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 10, 2009 | Brown Trout | 9,398 | 7" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| September 10, 2009 | Brown Trout | 9,398 | 7" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| July 10, 2009 | Rainbow Trout | 6,261 | 8" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| July 10, 2009 | Rainbow Trout | 6,261 | 8" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| April 13, 2009 | Rainbow Trout | 11,183 | 8" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| April 13, 2009 | Rainbow Trout | 11,183 | 8" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| April 10, 2009 | Brown Trout | 4,845 | 9" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| April 10, 2009 | Brown Trout | 4,845 | 9" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
| April 9, 2009 | Pallid Sturgeon | 1,203 | 9" | Montana fish & wildlife agency |
Showing 50 of 247 stocking records.
Frequently asked
When was Marias River last stocked?
According to Montana fish & wildlife agency, Marias River was last stocked September 14, 2023 with Brown Trout.
What fish species are stocked in Marias River?
Marias River is stocked with Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Pallid Sturgeon, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Coho Salmon, Crappie, and Bullhead.
What time of year is Marias River stocked?
Marias River is typically stocked in summer and fall, most often in July.
How often is Marias River stocked?
Marias River has been stocked about 3 times a year — 247 recorded stockings between 1940 and 2023.
How many fish have been stocked in Marias River?
About 3,632,424 fish have been stocked in Marias River across 247 recorded events since 1940, per Montana fish & wildlife agency.
What size are the fish stocked in Marias River?
Fish stocked in Marias River average about 5.8 inches, based on the sizes the agency reported.
Do you need a fishing license to fish Marias River?
Yes, all anglers age 16 and older generally need a valid Montana freshwater fishing license. Always review current regulations from Montana fish & wildlife agency for site-specific rules, bag limits, or stamps.
How do you catch stocked trout in Marias River?
Freshly stocked trout in Marias River typically respond well to floating dough bait (such as PowerBait) floated 12–18 inches off bottom on light 4–6 lb leader, live nightcrawlers under a bobber, and small inline spinners or spoons retrieved along shorelines and drop-offs.