HAMILTON – Rising river water temperatures are prompting more fishing restrictions in western Montana's Bitterroot drainage beginning August 1.
Daily hoot-owl restrictions, which prohibit fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight, help to prevent fish mortality due to angling when water temperatures are warm. These restrictions will take effect Aug. 1 in the following specific areas:
- West Fork of the Bitterroot River, from Painted Rocks Dam to the confluence with the East Fork of the Bitterroot.
- Upper East Fork of the Bitterroot River from Star Falls to the Highway 93 crossing at Sula. The section below this to the river's confluence with the West Fork of the Bitterroot is already under hoot-owl restrictions.
For a full list of current Montana fishing restrictions and closures, 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 established triggers. In cutthroat trout waters, like the East and West Forks of the Bitterroot, angling restrictions occur when the temperatures reach at least 66 degrees for three consecutive days.
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. 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.