Montana’s only native rainbow trout is making a comeback in the northwest corner of the state.
Rainbow trout are common throughout much of our state due to widespread stocking. However, most of the places rainbow trout exist today are outside of its native range in Montana. The lone exception is the Kootenai drainage where you will find native Columbia River interior redband trout, a subspecies commonly known as redband trout.
Redbands today exist primarily in disconnected streams across the Kootenai where native genetic strains remain intact. These fish are confined to the upper reaches of watersheds where drainage culverts, small waterfalls or other barriers have isolated them.
FWP is working to conserve and enhance fisheries for this native species with help from the Murray Springs Trout Hatchery near Eureka. FWP restarted efforts to raise redbands in 2024. Hatchery staff are in the second year of spawning wild fish for brood development. The goal is to have fish that could be stocked in area lakes by 2027. By 2028 there should be brood stock that can begin production spawning, which means widespread stocking could begin starting in 2029.
Montana’s redbands are native to the Kootenai River and its tributaries as far upstream as the Fisher River, located a few miles downstream of Libby Dam. Few strong populations of redbands exist in the U.S. and Canada, and the species is now gone from nearly 80 percent of its historical range. Due to population declines, redbands are considered a species of special concern by federal and state conservation agencies.
FWP is creating this redband broodstock using native genetic strains of fish that have survived and persist in isolated streams. The goal of this renewed effort is to conserve wild populations of redbands and the uniquely special recreational fishing opportunities they provide. Once the brood stock is fully developed, FWP plans to stock approximately 25,000 or more fish annually.
Murray Springs Fish Hatchery was built in the late 1970s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to mitigate for habitat and fisheries losses caused by construction and operation of Libby Dam.
Facility tours are available upon request. Please contact hatchery manager Jason Nachtmann at 406-889-3489.
