‘Hoot-owl’ restrictions placed on additional rivers in southwest Montana

A cutthroat trout caught on a western Montana river. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced a river closure and a couple of additional “hoot-owl” fishing restrictions, designed to protect trout when water temperatures get too warm or water quality drops.

A full angling closure on one portion of the Madison River took effect at midnight Friday:

• • From Madison Dam at Ennis Reservoir on the lower Madison to the footbridge at NorthWestern Energy powerhouse​.

Hoot – owl restrictions prohibit fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight each day. These closures and restrictions, which are due to warming temperatures and low flows, will stay in effect on the Madison until conditions improve, and they took effect at 2 p.m. on Thursday, FWP said:

• • From the footbridge at NorthWestern Energy powerhouse to the confluence with the Jefferson River, and

  • From the Yellowstone National Park boundary to Hebgen Reservoir.

​​ Hoot – owl restrictions remain in effect for portions of the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Blackfoot, Clark Fork, East Gallatin, Gallatin, Madison, Ruby and Sun rivers, as well as the Bitterroot, Jefferson and Silver Bow Creek in their entirety. To view a full list of restrictions, click here .

FWP’s drought policy provides for angling restrictions when flows drop below critical levels for fish, when water quality is diminished or when maximum daily water temperatures reach at least 73 degrees for three consecutive days. Water temperatures of 77 degrees or more can be lethal to trout.

These restrictions are designed to protect fish that become more susceptible to disease and mortality when conditions like this exist. One short-term strategy to address heat-induced stress in Montana’s wild trout is to reduce catch-and-release mortality by alerting anglers to fish only in the morning.

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.

If high temperatures and extremely low flows persist, anglers may want to consider fishing areas with less stressful temperatures and conditions, such as larger lakes or reservoirs, or higher elevation waterbodies.