Big Hole River Section I Closed to Fishing

HELENA – A full fishing closure will take effect Saturday, July 19, on the Big Hole River from Saginaw Bridge on Skinner Meadows Road to the confluence with North Fork of the Big Hole River. A hoot-owl restriction remains in place on the entire river downstream of the North Fork of the Big Hole River.

A full fishing closure prohibits any fishing on the stretch of water specified. Hoot-owl restrictions prohibit fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight each day. These restrictions will stay in effect until conditions improve.

To check for other 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 water temperatures warm. Restricting angling to only cool morning hours can help reduce catch-and-release mortality.

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 lakes 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.