HELENA - Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) will instituted “hoot-owl” fishing restrictions on many western Montana rivers and streams beginning Friday, July 29 due to warm and rising water temperatures.
The restrictions will close fishing daily from 2 p.m. to midnight until conditions improve. “Hoot owl” restrictions apply to the following stretches of water in west-central Montana, effective last Friday:
• Blackfoot: Entire length
• Blackfoot tributaries: North Fork and Copper, Monture and Morrell Creeks
• Bitterroot: Tucker Crossing, downstream to confluence with Clark Fork (~47 miles)
• Upper Clark Fork: From headwaters where Silver Bow and Warm Springs Creeks join to Rock Creek (~100 miles)
• Silver Bow Creek: From the confluence with Blacktail Creek to its mouth and confluence with Warm Springs Creek.
“Limiting fishing to the cooler morning hours is very important to reducing stress on fish right now, especially with a weather forecast that continues to be hot and dry,” said Pat Saffel, FWP Fisheries Manager in Missoula.
Saffel said that it is a good idea to limit fishing to the coolest hours of the day, even in stretches that are not under restriction, when possible. FWP will continue to monitor temperature, flows and fish mortality on rivers and streams and reevaluate the need for additional restrictions as early as next week.
For details on all emergency angling restrictions and other drought updates, go to the FWP home page at fwp.mt.gov. Click “Drought & Fire Updates.”
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