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Emergency fishing closures start Sunday on stretches of SW Montana rivers – Daily Montanan [1]

['Blair Miller', 'More From Author', '- September']

Date: 2023-09 

Fishing will close starting Sunday on sections of the Big Hole, Ruby and Beaverhead rivers as part of new fishing regulations on the southwest Montana waterways aimed at protecting spawning brown trout.

Stretches of the three popular fisheries in southwest Montana contain spawning beds for brown trout, and the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission in June adopted emergency regulations to try to reverse population declines seen over the past decade.

Trout numbers in some of the rivers are at historical lows, and groups in southwest Montana along with the state are researching what is causing the population declines, lower water levels and mysterious illnesses in some trout.

While portions of the three rivers will remain open to fishing after Oct. 1, some stretches will be closed again until April. The emergency fishing regulations are as follows:

Big Hole River

Entire river Catch and release for Arctic grayling

Headwaters to Dickie Bridge Combined trout: five daily and in possession, no size restriction

Dickie Bridge to the mouth Open April 1 through Sept. 30 Catch and release only Artificial lures and single-pointed hooks only. No treble or double hooks. Anglers may remove treble or double hooks from the lure and replace them with a single hook, or the shanks may be cut off the other hook points to leave a single hook. Lures with multiple hook attachments may still be used but any treble hook must be replaced by a single hook.



Beaverhead River

Entire river Catch and release for rainbow trout Brown trout: five fish daily and in possession, all fish must be less than 18 inches, except for Clark Canyon Dam to High Bridge Fishing Access Site (see special regulations below) Artificial lures and single-pointed hooks only. No treble or double hooks. Anglers may remove treble or double hooks from the lure and replace them with a single hook, or the shanks may be cut off the other hook points to leave a single hook. Lures with multiple hook attachments may still be used but any treble hook must be replaced by a single hook.

Clark Canyon Dam to Pipe Organ Bridge Open third Saturday in May through Sept. 30

Clark Canyon Dam to High Bridge FAS Catch and release for trout

High Bridge FAS to Henneberry FAS Closed to float fishing by nonresidents and float outfitting on each Saturday from the third Saturday in May through Labor Day

Henneberry FAS to Pipe Organ Bridge Closed to float fishing by nonresidents and float outfitting on each Sunday from the third Sunday in May through Labor Day

Barretts Diversion to the mouth Open April 1 through Sept. 30 Catch and release for trout

Highway 91 South Bridge (Tash Bridge) to Selway Bridge Closed to float outfitting from the third Saturday in May through Labor Day



Ruby River

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