Fishing in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area straddles the Montana-Wyoming border where the Bighorn River was dammed in the mid-1960s to create a long, deep reservoir cutting through canyon walls.

The park splits into two districts with no connecting road inside — the North District accessed from Fort Smith, Montana, and the South District from Lovell, Wyoming — so knowing which end you're heading to matters before you load the truck.

Bighorn Lake is the dominant water. The reservoir runs 71 miles, with 55 of those miles lying within the canyon itself.

Depth varies considerably: the Montana end runs between 70 and 450 feet deep, while the Wyoming end shallows out to around 30 feet at Horseshoe Bend and gets progressively shallower heading south.

South of the Highway 14A causeway, the old river channel spreads across the flats at full pool. Walleye are the main draw on the lake, along with brown and rainbow trout, yellow perch, crappie, catfish, ling, and carp.

Trolling with crankbaits and bottom bouncers covers water efficiently; jigging weighted jigs tipped with minnow or crawfish works the deeper structure on the Montana end.

The Afterbay Lake, just below Yellowtail Dam, is a productive trout spot and sees considerably less pressure than the river below it. The Bighorn River below the Afterbay Dam is a different fishery entirely.

The dam cleared the water — what was once a turbid, flood-prone river now runs crystal — and rainbow and brown trout colonized it in numbers that made the stretch below Fort Smith one of the most heavily fished rivers in Montana.

Thirty-eight species have been recorded in the river overall, but trout are what draws most anglers here. No park-specific fishing permit is required beyond a valid state license.

Because the park crosses the state line, make sure you're carrying the right license for where you're actually standing — Montana and Wyoming regulations differ, and the boundary matters. Check with the park directly for current rules before your trip.

The two-district layout is the thing most visitors underestimate. Plan your access point first, then your water.