Missouri River anglers encouraged to participate in creel survey Anglers fishing the Missouri River upstream of Fort Peck Lake this spring are likely to be asked a series of questions about their catch. The questioners are a pair of Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ creel clerks collecting information that will assist with the management of the native fish in the Missouri River.
The creel survey is mainly designed to determine fishing pressure and harvest data for a variety of native fish species, including paddlefish, sauger, channel catfish, burbot, shovelnose sturgeon and non-game species of the Missouri River, says FWP fisheries biologist Laura Leslie in Havre.
“We’re interested in collecting a variety of information from anglers that will help us understand native fish populations and their seasonal movements above Fort Peck,” says Leslie. “The survey form asks for information ranging from the date, time and location of fishing activity to what angling method was used to the number of fish caught and kept. We will also ask about where anglers are from and the distance they traveled to the river.”
Leslie says the creel clerks will ask to weigh and measure any harvested fish, and will ask anglers to donate the otoliths (ear bones), spines and/or jaws from native species in order to age harvested fish. Anglers will also be asked if they encountered any tagged fish. FWP and Montana State University researchers have been tagging paddlefish, pallid sturgeon, sauger and walleye throughout the Missouri River. Any anglers who catch a tagged fish are asked to report the tag number and location where the fish was caught by calling FWP’s Havre Area Office at 265-6177. Finally, anglers contacted by the creel clerks will be asked to contribute any comments about fish, fishing and fisheries management.
“Our two creel clerks, Tim Hiland and Lara Jarvis, will be conducting these surveys from April 1 through June 12,” says Leslie. “Angler participation in the creel survey is voluntary, but we would really appreciate their assistance if they’re contacted. The survey is brief, and the information that anglers contribute will help us manage the fishery. Age information that we can glean from the otoliths, jaws and spines, for instance, can help us determine spawning success of these species. We can look at river flows and temperatures during the years that generated strong year-classes of fish and gain a better understanding of how environmental conditions affect spawning success. Tag-return information will allow us to estimate movement, harvest and catch rates on paddlefish, sauger, pallid sturgeon and walleye.”
The creel survey began April 1 and will run through the popular paddlefishing season over Memorial Day weekend. The survey is expected to wrap up in mid June. Creel clerks will be contacting anglers from the Fred Robinson Bridge east to Peggy’s Bottom fishing access. The survey, funded by the State Wildlife Grants and by PPL Montana, will be repeated again next year.
---FWP---
Recent News
