HELENA – Due to shorter days and longer nights resulting in reduced water temperatures, fishing restrictions are lifted on the sections of the Upper Bitterroot, Upper Madison and Shields rivers, effective immediately. Water temperatures have routinely been below criteria and FWP expects the temperatures to remain cool.
Due to low streamflows that are creating isolated pools, a full fishing closure will take effect Wednesday on a section of the North Fork of the Blackfoot River to protect adult bull trout. Discharge in the lower North Fork Blackfoot River has remained below a critical threshold of 5 cfs since Sept. 1. Beaver dams and braided channels have combined with extremely low flows to create conditions that are expected to concentrate adult bull trout as they attempt downstream migrations to the Blackfoot River. The closure criteria follows the Blackfoot Drought Response Plan.
Restrictions lifted
Upper Bitterroot River: from the confluence of the East and West Forks to Veterans Bridge at Hamilton.
Maidson River: on the entire Madison River upstream of Hebgen Reservoir.
Lower Shields River: from Brackett Creek Road to the confluence with the Yellowstone River.
The restrictions had been in effect for these rivers due to warm water temperatures.
Drought Closure Implemented
North Fork Blackfoot: From the USFS boundary to the Highway 200 bridge.
Anglers can reduce stress on fish at all times of the year by getting fish to the net or in hand quickly, keeping them in the water, and reviving them prior to releasing them back into the river.
Along with monitoring stream temperatures, FWP also monitors stream flows, and in some streams, holds instream flow water rights. FWP’s water program can issue a call on junior water users, when appropriate, to contribute to stream flows through the late summer and early fall. For more information on FWP water rights, click here.
For a list of current drought-related fishing restrictions and closures, click here.
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