8/13/2007

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission has adopted tentative fishing regulations for 2008-2011. The proposed regulations are available for review on the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov on the Fishing page.

"A variety of opportunities for the public to comment on the proposed regulations will be announced soon, including a number of public meetings and surveys," said Don Skaar, FWP Fish Management Bureau Chief. The public may also comment by email to: fwpfsh@mt.gov through Sept. 14.

Here are some of the changes proposed for the 2008-2011 Montana fishing regulations.

Fishing on Indian Reservations

Anglers fishing on waters that border the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Big Muddy Creek, the Missouri and Milk rivers, would have a single daily limit for all fish species on these three waters and anglers would be able to use up to six fishing lines.

Another proposed regulation clarifies that a State of Montana fishing license is required for all anglers to fish the Bighorn River on the Crow Indian Reservation.  

Handling and Transporting Fish

While a person is fishing, or on the water or the ice, all fish in possession would be required to be whole with head, skin, fins and tail attached. Gills and entrails may be removed.   Fish dressed and filleted for transport to a permanent residence would need to be packaged in a manner to accommodate easy counting to determine possession limits.   Also, the requirement would be dropped that called for a one-inch patch of skin be left on a fillet to help identify fish other than trout and salmon.   For trout, salmon, grayling, char and whitefish, however, the entire skin must be attached to the fillet for identification.

Whitefish The whitefish daily and possession limits would be reduced to 20 daily and 40 in possession in most places. This change is intended to protect mountain whitefish, the sole whitefish species in many water bodies whose populations have been observed to be in decline in some locations.   Two locations with significant lake whitefish populations, Flathead Lake and the lower Flathead River, would remain at a limit of 100 daily and in possession.

  Northern Pike On the Flathead River, an extended season from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 is proposed for northern pike to reduce the number of pike that may prey on native fish, including bull and westslope cutthroat trout. In the winter season the lower river would be closed to pike fishing March 1 to the third Saturday in May to help minimize accidental catch of bull trout. Based on public comment, additional regulations aimed at controlling pike numbers were not considered.

Paddlefish Proposed paddlefish regulation changes would make it clear that anglers may select only one of three areas to fish for paddlefish. The Commission also proposed to set a quota of 500 fish and a season of May 1 – June 15 on the Upper Missouri River from Fort Benton to Fort Peck Dam. Catch and release fishing would be allowed throughout the season on the Upper Missouri River.

Catch-and-release would be allowed on the Yellowstone River only at the popular Intake Fishing Access Site and immediately downstream. After the season is closed to harvesting paddlefish in this area, catch and release would be allowed here for another 10 straight days, or until June 30, whichever comes first.

Milltown Dam

To protect anglers’ safety during the removal of Milltown Dam, a fishing closure is proposed from about one half mile below Milltown Dam to one to two miles above Milltown Dam on the Blackfoot and Clark Fork Rivers, as posted.

Big Hole River

Proposed changes would:

·      allow for increased harvest of brook trout that compete with and prey on grayling,

·     allow for increased harvest of large rainbow and brown trout in the Upper Big Hole River grayling recovery area to increase habitat available for grayling,

·     remove the slot limit for trout from Divide to Melrose and allow the use of bait.

Bighorn River The proposed regulations would revert to the Central District standard limit for rainbow and brown trout downstream from Afterbay Dam, providing for more harvest of rainbow trout than is currently allowed.


Yellowstone River             The Commission recommended a reduced harvest limit on the Yellowstone River within the Central Fishing District, except on the reach between Emigrant Bridge and Pine Creek Bridge. Concern about adverse impacts of harvest on the trout population prompted this proposal.


Western District

In the Western District, the regulations would show that anglers can now use two lines and two hooks per line on most lakes and reservoirs as directed by a law passed in the 2007 Montana State Legislature.

To review details on these and other proposed changes to the Montana Fishing Regulations for the 2008 season, go to the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov on the Fishing page.