TWIN BRIDGES – A section of the lower Big Hole River will be closed to fishing due to low flows starting Friday, Aug. 2.

The 18-mile closure area extends from the Tony Schoonen Fishing Access Site, commonly known as Notch Bottom, to the confluence with the Jefferson River. Flows in this area dropped below 100 cubic feet per second, which triggers a full fishing closure in accordance with the Big Hole River’s drought management plan.

The rest of the Big Hole River upstream of Tony Schoonen Fishing Access Site is under hoot-owl restrictions, which prohibit fishing each day between 2 p.m. and midnight.

Fishing restrictions and closures like these are designed to protect fish that become more susceptible to disease and mortality when conditions, such as low flows and high water temperatures, combine with other stressors, including catch-and-release fishing.

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.

For a list of current fishing restrictions and closures in Montana, click here.

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