Mountain Whitefish - Montana Fly Fishing Species
Abundant across Montana's clear, cold rivers and streams, the mountain whitefish is a familiar face in the state's waters.
Equipped with pointed snouts and tiny round mouths, they vacuum invertebrates from the rocky bottom. Typically, they measure 10-16 inches but can grow up to 23 inches and 5 pounds.
Come fall spawning season, thousands amass in tributaries to lay eggs across gravel beds.
This native species thrives from western drainages to eastern mountain-front waterways, also residing in reservoirs and lakes.
While some anglers consider them a nuisance, others target mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) as worthy sportfish that have coexisted with trout for eons without major resource competition. Our Montana fishing guides know mountain whitefish willingly take flies, so expect to catch a couple on each trip.
Valued for their numbers and eagerness to strike flies or bait, the mountain whitefish remains one of Montana's most important native gamefish.