Rainbow Dam Reservoir fishing

Rainbow Dam Reservoir fishing is stocked with Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout on a reservoir. Also recorded: Walleye, Northern Pike, Burbot, Mountain Whitefish, Common Carp, and White Sucker. It is stocked about 7.3 times a year since 2011, most often in July and August. Species guides list dawn and dusk for Rainbow Trout and Common Carp, dawn, day, and dusk for Brown Trout and Northern Pike, and dawn, dusk, and night for Walleye.

Rainbow Dam Reservoir
Photo: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
Last stocked
August 26, 2026
· Rainbow Trout
Plants on record
116
Since 2011
Species stocked
2 (+6 also recorded)
Average size
8.4 in
Elevation
3,244.9 ft

Fish at Rainbow Dam Reservoir

2 stocked · 6 confirmed present

Around the dates Rainbow Dam Reservoir is stocked, Open-Meteo's 2016-2025 archive puts mean air temperature at 70.8°F in August, 73.3°F in July, 61.2°F in September, 43.3°F in April. That is air temperature at these coordinates, not water temperature. Open-Meteo

Rainbow Trout Stocked · 115 plants · last August 26, 2026 Best: dawn, dusk

Last stocked August 26, 2026 · avg 8.4 in · 115 plants

Best: dawn, dusk

Rainbow Trout species guide
Brown Trout Stocked · 1 plant · last September 15, 2023 Best: dawn, day, dusk

Last stocked September 15, 2023 · avg 6.6 in · 1 plant

Best: dawn, day, dusk

Brown Trout species guide

How Rainbow Dam Reservoir is stocked

Source: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

Wadsworth Lake (7.6 mi) was stocked more recently. Wadsworth Lake is also stocked with Rainbow Trout.

Fish stocked in 2011

18,692

Fish stocked in 2012

18,743

Fish stocked in 2013

20,039

Fish stocked in 2014

21,001

Fish stocked in 2015

9,278

Fish stocked in 2016

7,002

Fish stocked in 2017

20,535

Fish stocked in 2018

3,389

Fish stocked in 2019

10,685

Fish stocked in 2020

8,000

Fish stocked in 2021

15,140

Fish stocked in 2022

15,871

Fish stocked in 2023

17,707

Fish stocked in 2024

12,000

Fish stocked in 2025

16,958

Fish stocked in 2026

9,989

Stocking history

Source: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
Date Species Quantity Avg. length Source
August 26, 2026Rainbow Trout88311.12 inreport
August 25, 2026Rainbow Trout64011.12 inreport
August 13, 2026Rainbow Trout1,4667.82 inreport
July 28, 2026Rainbow Trout1,0006.91 inreport
July 10, 2026Rainbow Trout1,2009.65 inreport
June 18, 2026Rainbow Trout2,0005.78 inreport
June 1, 2026Rainbow Trout1,0007.89 inreport
April 23, 2026Rainbow Trout1,8007.12 inreport
October 14, 2025Rainbow Trout2,3528.66 inreport
September 2, 2025Rainbow Trout2,0007.61 inreport
September 2, 2025Rainbow Trout1,15510.7 inreport
July 30, 2025Rainbow Trout1,1779.59 inreport
July 30, 2025Rainbow Trout4,2747.09 inreport
July 10, 2025Rainbow Trout5006.66 inreport
June 20, 2025Rainbow Trout2,0008.25 inreport
June 16, 2025Rainbow Trout1,5006.11 inreport
April 28, 2025Rainbow Trout2,0006.88 inreport
September 13, 2024Rainbow Trout4,0007.58 inreport
August 20, 2024Rainbow Trout2,0006.65 inreport
August 1, 2024Rainbow Trout2,0006.02 inreport
July 9, 2024Rainbow Trout2,0007.93 inreport
May 1, 2024Rainbow Trout2,0006.62 inreport
September 15, 2023Brown Trout5,9206.57 inreport
September 13, 2023Rainbow Trout4,0006.98 inreport
August 1, 2023Rainbow Trout1,1089.21 inreport
July 17, 2023Rainbow Trout2,6795.97 inreport
July 14, 2023Rainbow Trout2,0008.42 inreport
April 25, 2023Rainbow Trout2,0006.53 inreport
September 23, 2022Rainbow Trout8,5567.27 inreport
August 24, 2022Rainbow Trout1,0006.97 inreport
August 16, 2022Rainbow Trout1,6246.43 inreport
July 20, 2022Rainbow Trout1,2679.24 inreport
July 14, 2022Rainbow Trout3765.47 inreport
July 13, 2022Rainbow Trout5005.47 inreport
July 5, 2022Rainbow Trout5485.69 inreport
April 21, 2022Rainbow Trout2,0006.71 inreport
October 26, 2021Rainbow Trout8,5278.48 inreport
August 17, 2021Rainbow Trout1,0006.67 inreport
August 5, 2021Rainbow Trout1,0006.12 inreport
July 28, 2021Rainbow Trout5006 inreport
July 19, 2021Rainbow Trout1,0005.27 inreport
July 9, 2021Rainbow Trout5005.23 inreport
July 1, 2021Rainbow Trout6138.62 inreport
April 20, 2021Rainbow Trout2,0006.42 inreport
September 15, 2020Rainbow Trout4,0007.55 inreport
August 6, 2020Rainbow Trout2,0009.75 inreport
April 23, 2020Rainbow Trout2,0006.57 inreport
September 19, 2019Rainbow Trout1,7217.84 inreport
September 12, 2019Rainbow Trout4,0007.92 inreport
August 21, 2019Rainbow Trout9649.31 inreport
July 8, 2019Rainbow Trout1,0007.7 inreport
July 3, 2019Rainbow Trout1,0007.7 inreport
April 26, 2019Rainbow Trout2,0006.13 inreport
August 14, 2018Rainbow Trout4949.3 inreport
August 7, 2018Rainbow Trout8009.11 inreport
July 31, 2018Rainbow Trout1,1457.8 inreport
July 24, 2018Rainbow Trout9507.8 inreport
December 20, 2017Rainbow Trout14,4862.43 inreport
October 17, 2017Rainbow Trout2,0005 inreport
July 29, 2017Rainbow Trout3008.8 inreport
June 28, 2017Rainbow Trout7008.8 inreport
April 25, 2017Rainbow Trout1,0006.82 inreport
February 21, 2017Rainbow Trout2,0494.4 inreport
October 22, 2016Rainbow Trout2,0024.8 inreport
March 15, 2016Rainbow Trout5,0005.3 inreport
December 7, 2015Rainbow Trout2,1364.49 inreport
September 16, 2015Rainbow Trout2,00612.99 inreport
September 16, 2015Rainbow Trout4,13612.99 inreport
April 27, 2015Rainbow Trout1,0006.83 inreport
September 2, 2014Rainbow Trout1,79511.37 inreport
September 2, 2014Rainbow Trout1,78010.14 inreport
September 2, 2014Rainbow Trout2,64010 inreport
September 2, 2014Rainbow Trout1,7809.96 inreport
August 25, 2014Rainbow Trout1,00011.37 inreport
August 19, 2014Rainbow Trout1,0009.96 inreport
August 12, 2014Rainbow Trout1,00010.03 inreport
August 5, 2014Rainbow Trout1,00010.65 inreport
July 30, 2014Rainbow Trout1,0009.38 inreport
July 22, 2014Rainbow Trout1,0009.31 inreport
July 16, 2014Rainbow Trout1,0008.68 inreport
July 9, 2014Rainbow Trout1,0068.64 inreport
July 3, 2014Rainbow Trout1,0008.22 inreport
June 24, 2014Rainbow Trout2,0008.49 inreport
June 16, 2014Rainbow Trout2,0008.47 inreport
October 11, 2013Rainbow Trout2,05511.9 inreport
October 2, 2013Rainbow Trout94311.05 inreport
October 1, 2013Rainbow Trout3,25611.05 inreport
September 25, 2013Rainbow Trout3,84311.1 inreport
August 28, 2013Rainbow Trout99710.98 inreport
August 21, 2013Rainbow Trout1,0009.93 inreport
August 14, 2013Rainbow Trout1,0009.56 inreport
August 6, 2013Rainbow Trout1,0009.56 inreport
August 1, 2013Rainbow Trout1,9939.76 inreport
July 18, 2013Rainbow Trout1,0008.95 inreport
July 10, 2013Rainbow Trout1,9528.71 inreport
June 28, 2013Rainbow Trout1,0008 inreport
September 12, 2012Rainbow Trout8,70310.3 inreport
September 6, 2012Rainbow Trout1,04010.3 inreport
August 23, 2012Rainbow Trout1,0009.9 inreport
August 22, 2012Rainbow Trout2,0009.5 inreport
August 9, 2012Rainbow Trout1,0009.2 inreport
August 1, 2012Rainbow Trout1,0009.6 inreport
July 26, 2012Rainbow Trout1,0009 inreport
July 19, 2012Rainbow Trout1,0008.6 inreport
July 10, 2012Rainbow Trout2,0008.5 inreport
August 30, 2011Rainbow Trout4,7529.8 inreport
August 30, 2011Rainbow Trout3,09810.4 inreport
August 30, 2011Rainbow Trout2,84210.9 inreport
August 22, 2011Rainbow Trout1,00010.4 inreport
August 19, 2011Rainbow Trout1,0009.7 inreport
August 16, 2011Rainbow Trout1,0009.6 inreport
August 12, 2011Rainbow Trout1,0009.5 inreport
August 9, 2011Rainbow Trout1,00010.4 inreport
August 2, 2011Rainbow Trout1,0009.5 inreport
July 27, 2011Rainbow Trout1,0009 inreport
July 21, 2011Rainbow Trout1,0008.9 inreport

Access and facts

Water type
reservoir
Nearest town
Great Falls

179-acre Missouri River reservoir below Black Eagle Dam in Great Falls, held back by Rainbow Dam, which sits 6 miles northeast of the city. FWP lists access points throughout Giant Springs State Park and along Rainbow Dam Road, easy to reach from the city.

Drafted by AI from the cited sources and checked before publishing.

View larger map · Open in Google Maps · Directions

Advisories, closures, regulations and water conditions change. Check the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks before you go.

About Rainbow Dam Reservoir

Photo of Rainbow Dam Reservoir
Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nearest lakes

Wadsworth Lake 7.6 mi last stocked September 9, 2026 Eightmile Springs 26.1 mi last stocked May 13, 2026 Pelican Point #1 34.9 mi last stocked May 29, 2026 Kolar Reservoir 2 38.7 mi last stocked August 7, 2025 Kolar Reservoir 1 39.1 mi last stocked May 15, 2026

Public land at Rainbow Dam Reservoir

Rainbow Dam Reservoir is 0.1 miles outside the edge of Giant Springs State Park.

Boundaries from Public Lands DB, part of the same network.

Common questions

What fish are at Rainbow Dam Reservoir?

Fishing Rainbow Dam Reservoir usually means Rainbow Trout: Rainbow Trout accounts for 115 of 116 plants on record, ahead of Brown Trout. Rainbow Trout was last stocked August 26, 2026, averaging 8.4 in. Brown Trout was last stocked September 15, 2023, averaging 6.6 in. Walleye, Northern Pike, Burbot, and Mountain Whitefish, plus 2 more are recorded here outside the stocking reports.

When is Rainbow Dam Reservoir stocked?

Last stocked August 26, 2026. It is stocked about 7.3 times a year since 2011, most often in July and August.

How big are the fish stocked at Rainbow Dam Reservoir?

Stocked fish average 8.4 in. Rainbow Trout average 8.4 in. Brown Trout average 6.6 in.

How do you get on Rainbow Dam Reservoir?

The nearest town is Great Falls. 179-acre Missouri River reservoir below Black Eagle Dam in Great Falls, held back by Rainbow Dam, which sits 6 miles northeast of the city. FWP lists access points throughout Giant Springs State Park and along Rainbow Dam Road, easy to reach from the city.

Which lakes near Rainbow Dam Reservoir were stocked more recently?

Wadsworth Lake (7.6 mi) was stocked more recently. Wadsworth Lake is also stocked with Rainbow Trout.

Sources (3) +