Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has produced an addendum to the 2002-2003 Fishing Regulations, including corrections and clarifications. The addendum is available at all FWP regional offices, the FWP headquarters office in Helena and from FWP license providers. The addendum to the 2002-2003 Fishing Regulations is below:
Addendum
2002-2003 Montana Fishing Regulations
By order of the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission, the seasons, limits, and regulations listed in the 2002-2003 fishing regulations and those changes listed herein shall govern the 2002-2003 license years. These regulations are valid through the last day of February 2004.
WESTERN FISHING DISTRICT
All regulations governing the Western Fishing District as printed on pages 15-39 remain in effect except the following changes:
Page 17: Ice Fishing
All lakes and reservoirs in the Western Fishing District open to fishing are open to ice fishing with 2 attended lines with 2 hooks per line.
Page 18 Clarification (no changes): Wilderness Limits
All waters within the South Fork Flathead River Drainage from Hungry Horse Dam to the wilderness boundary and all waters within the Bob Marshall, Great Bear and Scapegoat Wilderness areas, unless otherwise specified under the Special Regulations.
SPECIES
Combined Trout Limit:
• Rainbow trout
• Cutthroat trout
• Grayling
DAILY AND POSSESION LIMIT
3 daily and in possession, in rivers and streams no fish may be over 12 inches
All tributaries to the Blackfoot River including: Alice Creek (page 19), Beaver Creek (page 19), Chamberlain Creek, Cottonwood Creek (page 26), Copper Creek (page 26), Landers Fork (page 30), Monture Creek (page 32), Nevada Creek (page 32), and North Fork Blackfoot River (page 32)
· Combined Trout Limit: 3 daily, no rainbow trout over 12 inches, any size brown trout. Catch-and-release for cutthroat trout.
Page 19: Belmont Creek (tributary to Blackfoot River)
· Artificial lures only within 100-yard radius of mouth.
· Combined Trout Limit: 3 daily, no rainbow trout over 12 inches, any size brown trout. Catch-and-release for cutthroat trout.
Page 20: Bitterroot River
Painted Rocks Dam to the mouth of West Fork Bitterroot River
· Combined Trout Limit: 3 rainbow trout or brown trout and catch-and-release for cutthroat trout.
Page 26: Clearwater River Drainage
Entire Drainage
· Catch-and-release for bass.
· Northern Pike: no limit, open to spearing.
Clearwater River from Salmon Lake outlet to mouth
· Open entire year.
· Combined Trout Limit: 3 daily, none over 12 inches. Catch-and-release for cutthroat trout.
Page 28: Gold Creek (tributary to Blackfoot River)
· Artificial lures only within 100-yard radius of mouth.
· Combined Trout Limit: 3 daily, no rainbow trout over 12 inches, any size brown trout. Catch-and-release for cutthroat trout.
Page 33: Rattlesnake Creek and tributaries
· Artificial lures only, including within 100-yard radius of the mouth of Rattlesnake Creek.
All regulations governing the Central Fishing District as printed on pages 41-70 remain in effect except the following changes:
Page 54: Darlington Ditch
· Entire ditch outside of Cobblestone FAS is open entire year under standard regulations.
· On the Cobblestone Fishing Access Site, Darlington Ditch is open for fishing all year with artificial lures only and catch-and-release for trout except from a point 500 yards above the northern boundary of Cobblestone FAS, as posted, downstream approximately 1.5 miles as posted which is closed to all fishing.
Page 57: Hyalite Creek
· The forks of Hyalite Creek above Hyalite Reservoir, including West Fork Hyalite Creek and East Fork Hyalite Creek are open from the third Saturday in July through November 30. Standard limits for Combined Trout Limit apply but include cutthroat trout.
· Hyalite Creek below Hyalite Reservoir is catch-and-release for cutthroat trout and is open from the third Saturday in May through November 30.
Page 59: Madison River
· Quake Lake outlet to Varney Bridge: artificial lures only and catch-and-release for trout.
· Quake Lake outlet downstream to McAtee Bridge: open from the third Saturday in May through the end of February.
· McAtee Bridge to Ennis Bridge: open the entire year.
All regulations governing the Eastern Fishing District as printed on pages 71-83 remain in effect except the following change:
Page 79: Missouri River
Entire river: it is illegal to snag for nongame fish from Fort Benton downstream to the North Dakota border.
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