Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir
Fishing and stocking
Kokanee water; one stocking on the 2026 record, in May. A 564-acre reservoir.
Montana · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Kokanee
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 12 | Kokanee | 31,010 | completed |
When to fish Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 10:09 am-12:09 pm and 10:32 pm-12:32 am | 4:27-5:27 am and 4:37-5:37 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:55 am-12:55 pm | 5:42-6:42 am and 4:55-5:55 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 May 12
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 salmon and steelhead (kokanee stocked 1 time here in 2026, stillwater)
| Beads and egg imitations | drifted under a float where bait rules allow |
| Trolling flies and dodgers | for landlocked salmon in the lakes, early and late in the day |
| Medium spinning rod | 8 to 9 ft with 8 to 12 lb line; big water, big runs |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Canyon Ferry Lake | 21 mi | Jul 1 |
| Gipsy Lake | 33 mi | Jun 5 |
| Maney Lake | 44 mi | Jun 16 |
| Perkins Pond | 53 mi | Jun 17 |
| Lake Sutherlin | 54 mi | Jun 30 |
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