Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks implemented Hoot Owl Restrictions (no fishing after 2pm) on the entire Big Hole River effective Thursday, July 17, 2025 due to high water temperatures in accordance with the Big Hole River Drought Management Plan.
Read the press release from FWP, here:
Fishing restrictions take effect Thursday on several rivers in southwest Montana
Jul 16, 2025 12:38 PM
HELENA – Hoot-owl restrictions take effect Thursday at 2 p.m. on the following rivers:
- Big Hole River on the entire river downstream of Saginaw Bridge on Skinner Meadows Road. This restriction expands the hoot-owl to the entire length of the Big Hole.
- East Gallatin River from Penwell Bridge Road to the confluence with the West Gallatin River at Nixon Bridge near Manhattan.
- Gallatin River from Amsterdam Road to the confluence with the Missouri River.
- Lower Shields River from Brackett Creek Road to the confluence with the Yellowstone River.
Hoot-owl restrictions prohibit fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight each day. These restrictions will stay in effect until conditions improve.
A full angling closure takes effect at 12 a.m. Thursday on the Madison River near West Yellowstone:
- Madison River upstream of Hebgen Reservoir. This angling closure replaces an existing hoot-owl angling restriction to align with a similar closure on the Madison River within Yellowstone National Park due to exceptionally high water temperatures and low flows.
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.