Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks implemented Hoot Owl Restrictions (no fishing after 2pm) on Section 2 of the Big Hole River effective Wednesday, July 22, 2026 due to high water temperatures in accordance with the Big Hole River Drought Management Plan. Read the press release from FWP, here:
Additional fishing restrictions begin July 22 on several Montana rivers
Jul 21, 2026 4:15 PM
BOZEMAN – Rising river water temperatures are prompting more daily fishing restrictions for several Montana rivers.
These restrictions, commonly known as hoot-owl restrictions, prohibit fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight each day. They are designed to protect fish when environmental stressors and angling pressure are both high. When water temperatures are high and flows are low, the additional stress of angling can lead to issues including disease outbreaks, reduced spawning success, decreased growth rates and increased mortality.
Restrictions will take effect July 22 in the following areas:
- Big Hole River from the confluence with the North Fork of the Big Hole River to Dickie Bridge
- Madison River from Eight Mile Ford Fishing Access Site to Ennis Reservoir
- Shields River from the bridge upstream of Wilsall between Jordan Bench and Pinkerton roads to the confluence with the Yellowstone River
- Yellowstone River from the Hwy. 89 bridge near Livingston to the Hwy. 212/310 bridge in Laurel
- Smith River from the confluence of the North and South forks of the Smith River to Eden Bridge
- Upper Clark Fork from the Clark Fork’s origin at the confluence of Warm Springs Creek and Silver Bow Creek to the mouth of Flint Creek
- Bitterroot River in its entirety, from the confluence of the East and West forks to the confluence with the Clark Fork River
Fishing restrictions are in effect for additional waterbodies and other sections of some of the rivers listed above. For a full list of current fishing 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. In cutthroat trout waters, angling restrictions occur when the temperatures reach at least 66 degrees for three consecutive days. Water temperatures of 77 degrees or more can be lethal to trout.
Catch-and-release anglers can reduce stress on fish by getting them to the net or in hand quickly, keeping them in the water and reviving them prior to releasing them back into the river. As the summer warms, Montana offers many other angling options with better conditions for fish, including larger lakers or reservoirs or higher-elevation lakes and streams.
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.