2009 Paddlefishing
Public Notices—
The paddlefish season for the Missouri River above Fort Peck Reservoir opened May 1, 2009 and will close on June 15, 2009. The harvest quota is 500 paddlefish; FWP may close the harvest season within 24 hours as paddlefish harvest approaches 500 fish. Catch-and-release season will continue through June 15th regardless of the harvest quota status.
The Yellowstone River and the Missouri River below Fort Peck Dam, open May 15, 2009. The harvest quota is 1,000 paddlefish; FWP may close the season when harvest approaches 1,000 fish. Catch-and-release will continue at Intake FAS only through June 30, 2009 or for 10 days after the close of the harvest season. [Learn more]
Upper Missouri River Reservoir Fisheries Management Plan 2010-2019
In 2009, FWP and a citizen workgroup will begin updating the Upper Missouri River Reservoir Fisheries Management Plan and provide opportunities for public participation and comment.
In places like the Upper Missouri River reservoirs, where fishing pressure is high, social expectations are diverse, and multi-species fish management is necessary, it is most productive to create plans for individual waterbodies and jurisdictions.
This is your invitation to get involved. [Learn more]
Future Fisheries Restoration
Beginning in 1995, the Montana legislature passed the Future Fisheries Improvement Program,
which increased the dollars allocated to fish habitat restoration and expanded
the program to include habitat improvements in lakes or reservoirs.
[Learn more]
The articles in this issue highlight the wide diversity of tremendous fisheries we manage in the state; from hatchery supported walleye and trout fisheries in a variety of reservoirs to our internationally recognized wild trout fisheries.
[Newsletter]
One of life’s simplest—and least expensive—joys is to spend a day fishing with friends or family. You get to be outside, enjoy the natural world, and maybe even hook a fish or two. Fishing is especially fun for kids. They love learning to cast, exploring the shoreline, and seeing birds and other wildlife near the water. And if they catch fish, get ready for some major noise. There are few sounds more exciting—to kids or to parents—than “Mom! Dad! I got one!” [Full Story]
You’d think large fish would eat only large flies. But on many Montana streams and rivers, it doesn’t work that way. Trout survive primarily by eating various life stages of aquatic insects. Anglers catch trout by using flies that mimic the different stages: larvae and pupae (imitated by flies generally known as nymphs), emerging adults (flies known as emergers), adults drifting on the surface ready to take flight (duns), and dead adults floating on the water surface (spinners). [Full Story]
While Montana’s trout rivers are famous worldwide, the state’s mountain trout lakes receive little notice in major sporting publications. That’s good news for anglers who have long enjoyed the more than 1,000 high-elevation lakes that support trout fisheries. [Full Story]
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Boaters are on the frontline in the battle to detect and prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species, said Eileen Ryce, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks aquatic nuisance species coordinator. (June 12)
A new state law that won bipartisan support among Montana lawmakers is already rebuilding bridges among landowners and anglers. (May 29)
A printing mistake in the 2009 Montana fishing regulations has Marias River anglers scratching their heads. (May 01)
Last year 417,000 anglers purchased fishing licenses. Residents comprise about 59 percent of the state's fishing-license buyers. About 32 percent of all adult Montana residents purchase fishing licenses annually. Nearly 80 percent of angler days are spent seeking trout and salmon. Some of the rivers that generally receive the most fishing pressure include the Madison, Missouri, Bitterroot, Clark Fork, Bighorn, Yellowstone and Gallatin rivers. (May 01)
At least 20 percent of illegal fish introductions documented by FWP have occurred in the past 10 years. In total there have been more than 500 unauthorized fish introductions. (May 01)
Before launching your boat and before leaving the water be certain to: (May 01)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has taken the guesswork out of fishing with kids by designating certain ponds for youthful anglers and in some cases stocking them to promote positive angling experiences for the young. (May 01)
Ornamental ponds are popular ways to "decorate" in the outdoors, even in Montana. (August 10)
