Montana and Yellowstone lift several fishing restrictions

Fishing restrictions in parts of Montana and Yellowstone National Park are being adjusted due to changing water temperatures and streamflows.

In southwest Montana, several hoot-owl restrictions and river-mouth closures are being lifted as temperatures decrease. These restrictions, which prohibited fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight to prevent fish mortality, will be removed from sections of the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Lolo, and Rock Creek rivers, among others. However, some sections of the Big Hole River are facing angling closures due to decreasing streamflows.

In Yellowstone National Park, most river and stream fishing restrictions implemented in late July are being lifted following cooler weather forecasts. While most areas allow daily fishing from sunrise to sunset, full closures remain in effect on the Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon rivers. These specific rivers remain closed because geothermal activity keeps water temperatures high, posing a risk to native trout fisheries.