Harpers Lake
Fishing and stocking
Rainbow trout and cutthroat trout water; 9 stockings on the 2026 record, spread March to June, heaviest in June. A 15-acre lake.
Montana · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
Cutthroat trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 11 | Rainbow trout | 45 | completed | |
| Mar 23 | Rainbow trout | 50 | completed | |
| Apr 17 | Rainbow trout | 200 | completed | |
| Apr 27 | Rainbow trout | 200 | completed | |
| Apr 28 | Rainbow trout | 201 | completed | |
| Jun 9 | Rainbow trout | 660 | completed | |
| Jun 12 | Cutthroat trout | 500 | completed | |
| Jun 19 | Rainbow trout | 520 | completed | |
| Jun 30 | Rainbow trout | 1,008 | completed |
When to fish Harpers Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:15 am-12:15 pm and 10:38 pm-12:38 am | 4:33-5:33 am and 4:42-5:42 pm |
| Tomorrow | 11:01 am-1:01 pm | 5:49-6:49 am and 5:01-6:01 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 93% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Mountain Time (MDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked Jun 30
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Montana fishing forecast
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 8 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Slip bobber and jig | 1/32 oz marabou jig or waxworm suspended at cruising depth |
| Ultralight spinning rod | 6 to 7 ft ultralight, 4 lb line; long casts from the bank |
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Placid Lake | 9.5 mi | Sep 29 |
| Browns Lake | 18 mi | Sep 16 |
| Lake Inez | 20 mi | Jun 12 |
| Lake Alva | 22 mi | Jun 12 |
| Rainy Lake | 24 mi | Jun 10 |
Follow Montana stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule