Hoot-owl restrictions on Rock Creek, St. Regis River, North Fork Flathead River
HELENA – Full fishing closures at the mouth of some tributaries of the Clark Fork River take effect at midnight tonight, July 23. Full fishing closures prohibit any fishing at all. Hoot-owl restrictions take effect tomorrow, July 24, at 2 p.m. on the entire North Fork Flathead River and sections of the St. Regis River and Rock Creek. Hoot-owl restrictions prohibit fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight each day. These closures and restrictions will stay in effect until conditions improve.
Full fishing restrictions:
- Clark Fork River in the mainstem at the mouths of these creeks
- Within a 100-yard radius of the mouth of Rattlesnake Creek at the Clark Fork River confluence
- Within a 100-yard radius of the mouth of St, Regis River at the Clark Fork River confluence
- Within a 100-yard radius of the mouth of Fish Creek at the Clark Fork River confluence
Hoot-owl restrictions:
- Rock Creek
- From Stoney Creek to the confluence of the West Fork Rock Creek and Middle Fork Rock Creek (formation of Rock Creek)
- St. Regis River
- Twelvemile Creek to the confluence with Clark Fork River
- North Fork Flathead River
- Entire river – from the Canadian border to the confluence with the Middle Fork of the Flathead River
To view a full list of 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 conditions like this exist. One short-term strategy to address heat-induced stress in Montana’s wild trout is to reduce catch-and-release mortality by alerting anglers to fish only in the morning.
Anglers can reduce stress on fish at all times of the year by getting fish to the net or in hand quickly, keeping them in the water and reviving them prior to releasing them back into the river.
If high temperatures and extremely low flows persist, anglers may want to consider fishing areas with less stressful temperatures and conditions, such as larger lakes or reservoirs, or higher elevation waterbodies.
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.
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