The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is hosting public meetings throughout the state to answer questions and receive feedback on fishing regulations. The meeting for Region 4 will be held on April 4th, at 6 p.m. at 4600 Giant Springs Road in Great Falls.
The staff will use the input from these meetings to refine the regulation proposals that will go before the Fish and Wildlife Commission in October. The fishing regulation proposals that will be considered by the commission will be made available for public comment in August. The commission will adopt, amend, or reject the proposals at its October meeting.
Montana’s fishing regulations are divided into three districts: west, central, and east, with each district having standard regulations. Many of the proposals aim to remove exceptions to district standards that are no longer biologically relevant while others are intended to increase fishing opportunities, enhance conservation efforts for some species, reduce confusion, or improve enforceability. All regulation changes are based on criteria or objectives outlined in the Statewide Fisheries Management Plan.
Specific statewide proposals include improving the definitions of different types of hooks and adjusting regulations for cleaning and transporting fish.
In the Western Fishing District, proposals include adjusting northern pike possession limits, adjusting bag limits on the Blackfoot River and many tributaries, implementing gear restrictions on the Kootenai River below Libby Dam, and removing the lake trout slot limit on Whitefish Lake.
In the Central Fishing District, proposals include allowing spearing for northern pike on Hauser and Holter reservoirs, removing spearing for burbot at Tiber Reservoir and Lake Frances, removing exceptions for walleye in the Missouri River from Toston to Canyon Ferry, and reducing walleye bag limits from Holter Dam to Black Eagle Dam.
For the Eastern Fishing District, proposals include clarification of paddlefish regulations because of the new fish bypass channel at Intake, the addition of a tag for paddlefish snagging opportunities in the Missouri River below Fort Peck Dam, regulations to conserve shortnose gar, and conservative crappie limits on Tongue River Reservoir.
Fishing regulations are now under a process like hunting regulations, going through a comprehensive public review every two years. Fishing regulations are printed during odd-numbered years.
FWP will be collecting comments through April 26. The department will also host at least one virtual meeting during this comment period.
