Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks closed the Yellowstone River to angling from noon to midnight daily on the stretch of river from Big Timber to Huntley, effective Friday, Aug. 1 at noon. Water temperatures have exceeded 73 degrees since mid-July on the river. “Confining fishing to the morning hours will help reduce the stress already on the rainbow and brown trout that populate this 105-mile stretch of the Yellowstone. The fish here have experienced prolonged high water temperatures with no relief in sight, and angling compounds that stress,” said Jim Darling, FWP Region 5 fisheries manager. The mandatory time-of-day restriction will be in effect until Sept. 15, unless a full closure becomes necessary or conditions improve and the closure can be lifted. Darling said water temperatures in this stretch of the Yellowstone have reached or exceeded 73 degrees since July 27 in measurements taken near Park City, Columbus and Big Timber. Temperatures at the Billings gauge have exceeded 73 degrees since July 12. Under FWP’s drought plan, angling restrictions are called for when water flows near a one-in 20-year level or the daily maximum water temperature reaches or exceeds 73 degrees over the course of three consecutive days. Biologists may recommend voluntary measures, mandatory time-of-day restrictions, or full angling closures, depending on the circumstances. “Flows on this stretch of the Yellowstone, holding at 3,980 cfs early this morning, are at 58 percent of average and comparable to flows last year, but are dropping rapidly,” Darling said. The mandatory time-of-day angling restriction was approved by FWP Commissioner Dan Walker, based on the recommendation of Harvey Nyberg, FWP Region 5 supervisor, and Jim Darling, FWP Region 5 fisheries manager. If conditions continue to deteriorate, the river may be closed to all fishing. Montana’s streams and rivers contain populations of wild trout that replenish through natural spawning. It is critical that sufficient numbers of trout are conserved to repopulate the fishery when conditions improve. For more information on angling closures and the effects of drought, visit the FWP web site at www.fwp.state.mt.us and click on “Drought & Fire ’03.”
Recent News
