Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is conducting a voluntary survey to track participation in the new Western Fishing District spearfishing opportunity for northern pike.

Starting in 2025, a licensed angler can spear northern pike while swimming or submerged in waters open to fishing, or as otherwise noted under District Standards. Spears may be hand-propelled or propelled with a spring or rubber band.

To better understand participation, FWP biologists are asking anglers who spear northern pike to complete a short survey, which includes questions about gear and fishing location.

The short survey is specific to open-water fishing and does not include spearing through the ice. Anglers are requested to submit a survey after each spearfishing trip to provide valuable data on participation and harvest.

“With this new unique fishing opportunity, we want to understand how it’s being utilized,” said Kenny Breidinger, FWP fisheries biologist in northwest Montana.

Anglers can access the survey online at https://fwp.mt.gov/fish.

For more information on spearfishing regulations, visit fwp.mt.gov/fish/regulations.