FWP announces emergency fishing restrictions on some SW Montana rivers

HELENA, Mont. — Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials announced new emergency fishing regulations are in place on the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers.

It comes after the Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted new regulations limiting fishing during the brown trout spawning season and harvest.

FWP released the following information:

New emergency fishing regulations are in place for the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted the new regulations during its June 8 meeting. These restrictions limit angling during the brown trout spawning season and harvest in some stretches of the rivers.

Trout abundances in several areas of the three rivers have steadily declined since 2011 and are at or near historical lows. Meanwhile, fishing pressure in these areas has increased. The emergency fishing regulations aim to be responsive to fish populations in accordance with Montana’s draft statewide fisheries management plan.

The current fishing regulations for the three rivers are as follows:

Big Hole River

• Entire river
• oCatch-and-release for Arctic grayling
• Headwaters to Dickie Bridge
• oCombined trout: five daily and in possession
• Dickie Bridge to the mouth
• oOpen April 1 through Sept. 30
• oCatch-and-release only
• oArtificial lures and single-pointed hooks only. No treble or double hooks. Anglers may remove treble or double hooks from the lure and replace them with a single hook, or the shanks may be cut off the other hook points to leave a single hook. Lures with multiple hook attachments may still be used but any treble hook must be replaced by a single hook.

Beaverhead River

• Entire river
• oCatch-and-release for rainbow trout
• oArtificial lures and single-pointed hooks only. No treble or double hooks. Anglers may remove treble or double hooks from the lure and replace them with a single hook, or the shanks may be cut off the other hook points to leave a single hook. Lures with multiple hook attachments may still be used but any treble hook must be replaced by a single hook.
• Clark Canyon Dam to Pipe Organ Bridge
• oOpen third Saturday in May through Sept. 30
• Clark Canyon Dam to High Bridge
• oCatch-and-release only
• High Bridge to Barretts Diversion
• oFive brown trout daily and in possession; all fish must be less than 18 inches
• Pipe Organ Bridge to Barrett’s Diversion
• oOpen all year under standard Central District regulations
• Barrett’s Diversion to mouth
• oOpen April 1 through Sept. 30
• oCatch-and-release only
• High Bridge FAS to Henneberry FAS
• oClosed to float fishing by nonresidents and float outfitting on each Saturday from the third Saturday in May through Labor Day
• Henneberry FAS to Pipe Organ Bridge
• oClosed to float fishing by nonresidents and float outfitting on each Sunday from the third Sunday in May through Labor Day
• Highway 91 South Bridge (Tash Bridge) to Selway Bridge
• oClosed to float outfitting from the third Saturday in May through Labor Day

Ruby River

• Upstream from Ruby Reservoir
• oCombined trout: all may be cutthroat trout
• Downstream from Ruby Dam
• oCatch-and-release for rainbow trout. Angling is closed the entire year just below Ruby Dam, from its confluence with Ruby Dam outlet channel upstream to the dam, including the outlet channel.
• From Ruby Dam to Alder Bridge (Ruby Island FAS)
• oCatch-and-release for brown trout
• oOpen April 1 through Sept. 30
• From Alder Bridge (Ruby Island FAS) to the mouth
• oBrown trout: one daily and in possession, must be less than 18 inches

For more information, visit fwp.mt.gov/fish.