Partner With Fisheries Biologists, Be A Montana Fishing Log Participant

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Since 1951, some anglers have belonged to an exclusive club of individuals who keep diaries of their angling experiences for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

At that time, about 350 dedicated anglers took on the job of keeping fishing logs. Compiling the information from these many individuals was tedious at best in the days of IBM keypunch equipment. But the angler’s information was invaluable.

For example, the 1955 Water Pollution Act called for each lake and stream in the state to receive a water quality classification.   FWP used information from fishing logs to make the initial classifications. The logs were the only data available on some streams. If an angler’s diary reported catching trout, that water was classified as being at a quality standard suitable for trout.

            Information gathered from anglers’ logs also played a part in identifying when whirling disease first appeared in the state. A Pennsylvania angler’s log helped fisheries managers deduce that whirling disease may have shown up in the Madison River as early as 1987.

            Today, 848 anglers participate in the Fishing Log Program and you can to. To enroll in the program, please call 406-994-6838 or mail your name, address and phone number to:

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Fisheries Information Services

1400 South 19 th

Bozeman, MT 59718