LivewellMontana · Reservoir
Noxon Rapids Reservoir
Is the fish you caught here safe to eat? Below is every consumption advisory on file for Noxon Rapids Reservoir, by species and size, in plain English — plus what's legal to keep.
7 species with advisories · contaminants: Dioxins, Mercury
What's safe to eat from Noxon Rapids Reservoir
Lake Trout
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| 26–30" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Lake Whitefish
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| 10–14" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. |
| Women of childbearing age and children | For women of childbearing age and children: limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. | |
| 14–18" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to two meals per week due to elevated Mercury. |
| Women of childbearing age and children | For women of childbearing age and children: limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Largemouth Bass
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| 10–14" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per week due to elevated Mercury. |
| Women of childbearing age and children | For women of childbearing age and children: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Northern Pike
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| 10–14" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per week due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
| Women of childbearing age and children | For women of childbearing age and children: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. | |
| 14–18" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per week due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
| Women of childbearing age and children | For women of childbearing age and children: limit to two meals per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. | |
| 18–22" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to two meals per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
| Women of childbearing age and children | For women of childbearing age and children: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. | |
| 22–26" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to two meals per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
| Women of childbearing age and children | For women of childbearing age and children: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. | |
| 26–30" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
| Over 30" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Smallmouth Bass
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| 10–14" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. |
| Women of childbearing age and children | For women of childbearing age and children: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. | |
| 14–18" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Walleye
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| 6–10" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
| 10–14" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
| 14–18" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
| 18–22" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
| 22–26" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
| 26–30" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and Mercury. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Yellow Perch
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| 6–10" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. |
| Women of childbearing age and children | For women of childbearing age and children: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. | |
| 10–14" | Men, and women not of childbearing age | Limit to two meals per month due to elevated Mercury. |
| Women of childbearing age and children | For women of childbearing age and children: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Mercury. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
How to prepare fish from Noxon Rapids Reservoir
Some contaminants build up in fat and skin, so cleaning and cooking can lower your exposure. Others — mercury and PFAS — are in the muscle itself and trimming does nothing.
Dioxins
- Skin the fish — most of the contaminant sits in the fat just under the skin.
- Trim the fatty areas away: the belly flap, the top of the back, and the dark lateral line down each side.
- Cook on a rack — grill, broil, or bake — so the fat drips off the fillet.
- Throw the drippings out; don't use them for soup, sauce, or chowder.
- Choose smaller, younger fish — they've had less time to build it up.
Is it legal to keep?
These are Montana's statewide limits — a water-specific rule may override them. Always verify the current regulations before keeping a fish.
| Species | Size | Daily limit | Open season | Keep season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Brown Trout | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Cutthroat Trout | — | 3 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Bull Trout | — | 0 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Brook Trout | — | 10 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Arctic Grayling | — | 0 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Mountain Whitefish | — | 20 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Walleye | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Sauger | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Northern Pike | — | 10 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Smallmouth Bass | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Largemouth Bass | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Lake Trout | — | 3 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Kokanee | — | 10 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Black Crappie | — | 15 | Year-round | Same as open |
| White Crappie | — | 15 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Yellow Perch | — | — | Year-round | Same as open |
| Bluegill | — | — | Year-round | Same as open |
| Burbot | — | 2 | Year-round | Same as open |
Official rules: Montana — Montana FWP standard-district default