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FWP Commission Suggests Several Fishing Regulation Changes

Tuesday, September 11, 2001
Fishing
This article was Archived on Monday, July 01, 2002

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission recently adopted tentative fishing regulations for the 2002-2003 fishing seasons. Most of the changes adopted at the Commission’s Sept. 6 meeting in Helena were distributed to the public for review and comment in August, but the Commission also adopted several additional changes. The Commission will take comments on the tentatively adopted regulations through Oct. 12, said Karen Zackheim, FWP Fisheries Division bureau chief. "Anglers will have two more opportunities to participate in setting the final fishing regulations," Zackheim said. "They can send in their comments by Oct. 10 and they can plan on attending the Nov. 8. meeting in Helena when the Commission will adopt the final regulations." If approved as final, the important differences from the proposed changes reviewed by the public include:

  • Children 14 years of age and younger will be allowed to use bait, except live fish, on any waters open to fishing during the standard fishing season (third Saturday in May through November 30). Live fish may only be used on waters listed for each fishing district. In addition, on waters restricted to catch-and-release fishing, children 14 years of age and younger will be allowed to keep up to two fish except for cutthroat trout and bull trout.
  • In areas where sauger harvest is limited to one fish, all sauger and walleye must be kept whole (gills and entrails may be removed) for identification while on the water. Sauger and walleye may be filleted when anglers are off the water and done fishing for the day. Sauger are defined as any Stizostedion (sauger/walleye genus) with multiple small, distinct black spots on the spiny (first) dorsal fin ray membranes.
  • The Commission tentatively adopted the department’s proposal to define "legally taken" fish as any fish not immediately released. However, the Commission directed the department to propose revisions to the fishing contest rules to provide for unlimited catch-and-release when fish are temporarily held in high-tech live wells designed to minimize handling stress prior to check-in and release.
  • Echo Lake spear-fishing for northern pike is reduced from the standard limit of 15 daily and in possession to 2 daily and in possession.
  • Drought impacts on trout populations require reducing trout limits on the Beaverhead River (from Clark Canyon Dam to Anderson Lane), the Jefferson River, and Red Rock River (Lima Dam to Clark Canyon Reservoir) to three trout daily, only one over 18 inches. The Jefferson will remain catch-and-release for rainbow trout and the Beaverhead will continue to have a one rainbow trout limit.
  • Warm Water Game Fish Stamp waters are being added and deleted based on the five-year stocking plans. Waters proposed to be added include Horseshoe Lake (Lake County), Warm Springs Creek (Fergus County), and Wapiti Reservoir (Phillips County). Additional waters may be identified prior to adoption of final regulations. Written comment on the adopted tentative 2002-2003 fishing regulations will be accepted through Oct. 12. Comments will be considered as the final 2002 and 2003 angling regulations are prepared and presented to the Commission for its approval at the November 8 Commission meeting. The tentatively adopted angling regulations are available at regional FWP offices, license agents or by calling FWP at 406-444-2449.

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