Smith Will Close To Angling; Missouri Restricted To Morning-Only Fishing

Monday, August 14, 2000
Headlines

This article was Archived on Monday, July 01, 2002

In a move to protect wild trout populations from drought and angling stress, the Smith River will close to all angling Thursday, and morning-only angling restrictions will be applied to a 35-mile-long blue ribbon stretch of the Missouri River, FWP announced today. The emergency Smith River closure will go into effect Thursday, Aug. 17, and encompass:

• The entire 125-mile stretch of the Smith River from the confluence of the North and South forks of the Smith to its mouth.

The Missouri River’s emergency angling restrictions--which will prohibit all angling from noon to midnight-will likewise go into effect Thursday and encompass:

• The 35-mile stretch of the Missouri River’s Blue Ribbon wild trout waters between Holter Dam and Cascade.

The action was taken by FWP Director Pat Graham, who was recently given the authority by the FWP Commission to address drought-related stream closures and restrictions. The decision to close the Smith River to all angling comes in response to high water temperatures and low stream flows that continue to threaten the river’s wild rainbow and brown trout populations, said FWP Fisheries Manager Steve Leathe. "Flows in the Smith are critically low." Leathe said. "They have averaged only 40-50 cubic feet per second near Camp Baker and water temperatures are reaching up to 78 degrees." The preferred water temperature for rainbow and brown trout is about 55-57 degrees. Temperatures of 77 degrees or more can be lethal to trout. While Missouri River stream flows are low they are not nearly as critical as those on the Smith River. Water temperatures on the river, however, have regularly exceeded 70 degrees at Craig, a temperature that dramatically increases stress in trout which often results in reduced growth rates and, some cases, the death of the fish. These temperatures can especially stressful on fish that are handled by anglers. Because fisheries biologists are predicting a decline in Missouri River’s adult rainbow trout population due primarily to impacts of whirling disease, Leathe said FWP’s best short-term drought strategy is to reduce catch-and-release mortality by prohibiting fishing in the warmest part of the day. He also noted that due to fishing closures in other parts of Montana, the Missouri River is experiencing additional fishing pressure. "Fishing only in the cool, morning hours will allow more adults to survive and help to ensure that enough adult rainbow trout survive this drought to return to their key spawning tributaries next spring," Leathe said. The Missouri River restrictions will likely remain in effect into September and will not be reevaluated until river temperatures remain below 70 degrees for seven consecutive days at Craig. The Smith River closure will similarly remain into September and will not be reevaluated until river flows reach 80 cfs and temperatures remain below 70 degrees for seven consecutive days. He also asked anglers to avoid fishing the Dearborn and Sun rivers whose fish are experiencing severe drought stress at this time.