Notice to anglers: Some new fishing rules passed after 2007 regulations were published

  • Published
HELENA, Mont. --  HELENA, Mont. - With the general stream-fishing season open, anglers are planning a summer's worth of fishing trips. Those plans should include a review of the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 2007 fishing regulations for regulation changes. 

"New or changed regulations are displayed in bold italics to make it easier to identify them," said FWP Fisheries Operations Bureau Chief Karen Zackheim. 

One new statewide regulation passed by the 2007 Montana Legislature, effective immediately statewide, is not in the regulations book. It allows a licensed angler to fish from a boat, on the shore, in a lake or reservoir, with two rods that must be within immediate control. 

Other new regulations include the following:
In the Western Fishing District:
-On Flathead Lake the new daily limit for lake trout is 50 in possession, only one over 36 inches. All fish 30 to 36 inches must be released.
-On Horseshoe Lake in the Thompson Chain of Lakes, the limit for tiger muskellunge is one daily and in possession, and it must be over 40 inches.
-Silver's Lagoon in FWP Region 2 is open to fishing for anglers 14 years of age and younger from April 1 to Oct. 30 and the limit is three fish daily and in possession.
-Kids Pond at the Warm Springs Wildlife Management Area headquarters is open the entire year to fishing by anglers 14 years of age and younger. 

In the Central Fishing District:
-Trail Creek in the Yellowstone River drainage is closed to fishing upstream from its confluence with Cabin Creek to the headwaters in order to protect Yellowstone cutthroat trout during and immedately after habitat restoration work planned there. 

In the Eastern Fishing District:
-Snagging nongame fish is allowed on all open waters in the Eastern Fishing District with some exceptions:
w the Missouri River downstream from Fort Benton to the North Dakota border, and
w the Yellowstone River downstream from the mouth of the Bighorn River, where only paddlefish may be snagged by anglers with a valid paddlefish tag.
-Changes to the paddlefish regulations include setting a limit of one paddlefish per season per angler, specific tags required to fish specific waters, and designated catch and release and harvest days, among other changes.
-On Spotted Eagle Pond the new limit is five fish daily and in possession, any combination of species. 

Montana's fishing regulations are available at all FWP offices, from license providers throughout the state and on the FWP Web site. Where standard regulations apply, the general fishing season will close Nov. 30. For help planning a fishing trip, visit the online Fishing Guide. Both the regulations and the fishing guide can be found at  fwp.mt.gov under fishing.