Nilan Reservoir
Rainbow trout water; 1 stocking on the 2026 record.
Montana · see it on the national map
1
stocking 2026
May 26
last stocked
40,000
fish reported
521
acres (NHD)
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26 | Rainbow trout | 40,000 | completed |
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 1 time here in 2026, stillwater)
| 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 |
| Casting spoons | 1/8 to 1/4 oz in fluorescent or metallic; count down until you find the depth |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pishkun Reservoir | 14 mi | May 1 |
| Browns Lake | 42 mi | Jun 17 |
| Harpers Lake | 51 mi | Jun 19 |
| Van Lake | 59 mi | Jun 10 |
| Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir | 66 mi | May 12 |
Records from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
(official page). Placement from USGS GNIS
and the National Hydrography Dataset. Schedules change without notice.
Seasons, limits, and licenses:
Montana fishing
regulations.