GREAT FALLS – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is inviting anglers to help improve and craft new fishing regulations for the next two years. FWP is seeking public input on 41 preliminary fishing regulation proposals for the 2027–2028 fishing regulations and is also interested in hearing other additional ideas for regulation changes from anglers.
FWP will host a public meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13 at the Region 4 office (4600 Giant Springs Road). At this meeting, staff will present regional fishing regulation proposals, answer questions and collect input. If you are unable to attend this in-person meeting on May 13, there will be a statewide virtual meeting on May 26 at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Please check the online regulations page for more information.
Each of the 41 proposals include information on biological rationale, regulation type, and references to the Statewide Fisheries Management Plan. A few of the proposals include changes to regulations in FWP Region 4's portion of the eastern and central fishing districts. These include:
- Proposal 1: Definitions of Hook and Bait (Clarification)
- Proposal 4: Eastern District Standard Smallmouth Bass Limits
- Proposal 5: Central District Standard Smallmouth Bass Limits
- Proposal 6: Transportation of Live Fish in the Eastern District
- Proposal 8: Including Tiger Trout to Combined Trout for Central and Eastern District Standard Limits
- Proposal 40: Missouri River - Cow Creek to Beachamp Creek Setlines Limit and Season Length
FWP uses a two-year cycle for fishing regulations and booklets are printed on odd-numbered years. In the interim, changes will be posted online and shared using other outreach like FWP newsletters and social media.
The full set of preliminary proposals for the entire state are available online where people can also easily comment. Comments on individual proposals, as well as new regulation ideas from the public, can be submitted through the FWP website, by mail to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620; or by emailing fwpfishcomments@mt.gov. Comments for this initial scoping effort will be collected until May 31.
Comments gathered during this initial phase will help fisheries staff develop a formal proposal package for the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission. Regulations are set by the Fish and Wildlife Commission, which is an independent seven-member board appointed by Gov. Greg Gianforte. The formal proposal package will go out for public comment in August before going to the Commission for final consideration. Final regulations will be set at the October 2026 Commission meeting. The commissioners will review public comments and feedback and, prior to their meeting in October, propose any amendments they feel are necessary. Commissioners may also make changes to the regulation proposals during the final meeting.