Comment Sought On Fishing Regulations

Friday, August 08, 2008
Fishing

This article was Archived on Monday, September 08, 2008

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking comment on tentative changes to the fishing regulations that would go into effect on March 1, 2009.

Tentative changes include:

FWP Region 1 - Northwestern Montana

• Anglers possessing a valid Bull Trout Catch Card may fish for bull trout in Lake Koocanusa and Hungry Horse Reservoir/South Fork Flathead River.   The new regulation would require anglers to select and fish in only one of these waters to improve survey accuracy to meet U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit requirements.
• The closing date for fishing for bull trout in the South Fork Flathead River will be changed from Aug. 15 to July 31 to reduce catch and release mortality due to high water temperatures.
• On the Thompson River, size restrictions for brown trout will be lifted and fishing for rainbow trout will be catch-and-release only to counteract drought impacts and decrease impacts on bull trout.

FWP Region 2 – West Central Montana

To reduce bull trout hooking mortalities only artificial lures will be allowed:

• on portions or the full reach of these Blackfoot River tributaries: Copper Creek, Dunham Creek, Gold Creek, Monture Creek, and the North Fork.
• on portions or the full reach of Cedar Creek and Fish Creek in the Clark Fork River drainage.
• on portions or the full reach of Marshall Creek, Morrell Creek and the West Fork in the Clearwater River drainage.  

Portions of the Clearwater River (below fish barriers), the West Fork Clearwater, Morrell Creek, the North Fork of Fish Creek and portions of the West Fork of Fish Creek will be closed to fishing to protect bull trout.

FWP Region 3 – Southwestern Montana

• The regulation stipulating that fishing closures be posted on springs entering Clark Canyon Reservoir would be deleted.
• The regulation which prohibits bait use for anglers 15 years of age and older on the Emigrant Bridge to Pine Creek Bridge section of the Yellowstone River would be deleted.

FWP Region 7 – Southeastern Montana

The requirement that 800 paddlefish must be harvested at Intake before FWP can close the Yellowstone paddlefish season would be deleted to avoid exceeding the harvest threshold.

Language would be added to the Yellowstone paddlefish regulations to clarify that catch and release snagging downstream from the mouth of the Bighorn River is permitted only at the Intake Fishing Access Site.

The tentative regulation changes are available for review on the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov on the Fishing page.

Comments must be received by Sept. 12 and may be mailed to: Don Skaar, Fish Management Bureau Chief, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, P.O. Box 200701; Helena, MT 59601; or emailed to: dskaar@mt.gov .

The FWP Commission will take final action on the fishing regulations on Oct. 16 in Helena.