With Montana’s paddlefish harvest quota expected to be reached, the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission agreed today to close the 2007 paddlefish harvest season on the Yellowstone River and the Missouri River below Fort Peck Dam on Saturday, May 19, 2007, at 9 p.m. Catch-and-release fishing for paddlefish will be allowed only on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m through June 30. The 2007 paddlefish season has been exceptional, with early spring high water flows. All the paddlefish have been caught since May 15, 2007. Montana paddlefish harvest quota is 1,000 fish and at the present rate of catch the quota will be reached or surpassed in the immediate future. "We’re seeing 200-250 or more paddlefish being caught in a single day," said Brad Schmitz, FWP’s fisheries manager in Miles City. "This spring’s high water flows have triggered the paddlefish movement up river and anglers have had a great opportunity to reel in a unique native Montana fish. This was an excellent spring run for paddlefish."
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