HELENA – During its meeting Wednesday, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the 2027-2028 fishing regulations, approved a 99-year conservation easement on the 3,652-acre Hannah Ranch near Moore and banned the use of motorized watercraft on the Mitchell Slough channel of the Bitterroot River.
The new fishing regulations include updates to statewide, district-standard and waterbody-specific fishing regulations. They also include changes to harvest limits, season dates, gear and bait restrictions and fishing methods.
“Today’s proposed regulation recommendations reflect a highly vetted process,” said fisheries division administrator Adam Strainer. “We used the best science available to bring clarification and simplification to the new regulations.”
Earlier this year, FWP staff proposed 41 regulation updates and received public input through online comments and public scoping meetings. As a result of that process, the proposed package included 44 proposals.
“This package shows the extremely hard work of our fisheries staff and our commitment to listening to the general public during the regulation-setting process,” said FWP Director Christy Clark.
Along with these actions, the following other topics were decided on:
- Flathead River drainage brown trout regulation was approved
- Grizzly bear release sites were approved
- Northern leopard frog relocations were approved
- Temporary full closure of Kona Bridge Fishing Access Site was approved
- Public Use and Commercial Use Fee Schedules were approved
- Thompson Island acquisition was approved
- Citizen Petition for Rulemaking – Swan Lake Motorized Use Restrictions was denied
For more information on these topics and to watch a recording of the meeting, go to the commission’s webpage.
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