A fishing closure is in place on all sections of the Big Hole River beginning August 31.
Fishing closure is in place on the entire Big Hole River.
This closure adheres to the Big Hole River Drought Mangement Plan.
Hoot owl restrictions (2:00 p.m. to midnight) are in effect for the Madison River Footbridge at NorthWestern Energy powerhouse to confluence with the Jefferson River beginning July 18.
Flows and temperatures are measured below Ennis Reservoir at USGS gage 06041000 and water temperatures are measured at the Sloan gage that is operated by Northwestern Energy, which is near the Blacks Ford FAS.
Water temperatures exceeded 73 degrees in this reach of the Madison River for three consecutive days starting on July 7th. Outflows from Ennis Lake have consistently been between 72-73 degrees since July 13, even at night, which has exacerbated issues with high water temperatures in the lower Madison River. With enough distance from the dam, cooling of outflows from Ennis Reservoir is sufficient to allow fishing during early hours of the days.
Air temperatures over 90 F are anticipated for the foreseeable future. The lower Madison River receives high angling pressure.
Hoot owl restrictions (2:00 p.m. to midnight) are in effect for the Sun River from the mouth of Muddy Creek to Hwy 287 Bridge beginning July 10
Sun River water temperatures at the Simms gage reached or exceeded 73F on June 22 through June 26. Water temperatures reached 77F on July 7. The National Weather Service forecast calls for continued hot weather. Low discharge is also a concern.
