If you thought your dating life was complicated, try being a Westslope Cutthroat Trout in the Big Hole Drainage. Between “illegal” neighbors moving in next door and some very questionable cross-species flirting, Montana’s native fish are having a rough decade.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) has just released its 2026 Statewide Fisheries Management Plan, and it reads a bit like an eviction notice for some very unwelcome guests. From goldfish where they don’t belong to pike playing the villain in trout territory, the FWP is asking the Commission—and you—to weigh in on four major “fish removal” projects.
Here’s the breakdown of who’s getting the boot and why your voice matters.
1. The Maiden Spring Pond Pike Problem
The Culprit: Northern Pike (illegally introduced).
The Drama: Someone thought it would be a great idea to drop Northern Pike into Maiden Spring Pond. Now, these toothy predators are a “snack-risk” to the downstream prairie fish.
The Fix: FWP wants to use piscicides (specialized fish-removal treatments) to clear out the pike and restock the pond with trout. It’s a total reboot for the local ecosystem.
2. Mono Creek: Stopping the “Wrong” Kind of Chemistry
The Culprit: Hybridized Trout.
The Drama: In Mono Creek, we have pure-blooded Westslope Cutthroat Trout (WCT). Unfortunately, they’ve been mingling with some downstream neighbors, and the resulting “hybridization” is threatening to wipe out the original lineage within 10 years.
The Fix: A fish barrier, a couple of years of treatments to remove the hybrids, and then putting the “pure” WCT back in their protected five-mile stretch of paradise.
3. McGinnis Creek: The Hybrid Headache
The Culprit: Yellowstone/Rainbow Trout hybrids.
The Drama: These hybrids are currently threatening the migratory WCT population in the North Fork of the Flathead River.
The Fix: Similar to Mono Creek, it’s a “reset” button. Remove the hybrids in 2026–2027 and restock with original, local WCT from a nearby watershed.
4. The Unnamed Pond: Goldfish are NOT for Rivers
The Culprit: Goldfish. Ugh.
The Drama: Someone dumped their pet goldfish into a pond near the Lower Clark Fork Reservoir. While they look cute in a bowl, they are an invasive nightmare for the local aquatic community.
The Fix: Eradication via piscicides. Sorry, Goldie; you belong in a tank, not the Clark Fork.
Why “Do Nothing” is a Bad Idea
The FWP has presented three alternatives, but “Alternative C” (doing nothing) is basically a death sentence for our native species. Without these projects:
- The Mono Creek WCT will likely be gone in a decade.
- Goldfish could take over the Lower Clark Fork.
- Pike will continue their downstream “buffet.”
Speak Up: Your Opinion is the Hook (ha)
FWP thrives on public feedback. This is your window to tell the Commission that you care about native trout, clean ecosystems, and keeping goldfish out of our wild rivers.
Don’t let the “wrong” fish win the Madison Range and beyond. CLICK HERE TO COMMENT, as the deadline is March 29, 2026.