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Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has issued a Decision Notice to adopt as final the Draft Environmental Assessment to renew a management agreement with the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation for management and operations of Intake Fishing Access Site (FAS) 16 miles north of Glendive on Highway 16. The Intake FAS operated on a 50-year agreement that historically included two parcels: (1) The ‘Intake Area’ north of the river and (2) ‘Joe’s Island’ south of the river. The Intake Area includes a boat ramp, day use area, campgroun...
MILES CITY – The 2024 paddlefish season for the yellow tag area of the Yellowstone and lower Missouri rivers ended June 30, short of the harvest cap of 1,000 fish. The overall harvest estimate was 782 paddlefish, and female paddlefish represented 43% of the total harvest. Harvest estimates for the past two seasons were 776 in 2023 and 769 fish in 2022, continuing the trend toward a more dispersed fishery since open river passage began with the new Intake Bypass Channel near Glendive. It was also an average year for tag sales, with a total of 2,...
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced Monday that the state’s 2024 paddlefish snagging season will close May 15 to any additional harvest to provide long-term protection of the paddlefish population. An additional snag-and-release extended season will begin May 16 and run through May 21. Paddlefish snaggers with unused tags can continue snagging during the additional snag-and-release season but must release all fish immediately. If a snagger has already used their tag on a harvested paddlefish, they are not allowed to p...
North Dakota's paddlefish season will open May 1, and is scheduled to continue through May 21. However, depending on the overall harvest, an early in-season closure may occur with a 24-hour notice issued by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Paddlefish snagging is legal only from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (central time) during each day of the paddlefish snagging season. The open area includes the Yellowstone River in North Dakota, and the Missouri River west of the U.S. Highway 85 bridge to the...
North Dakota’s paddlefish snagging season opens May 1, and snaggers should be aware of the sale and distribution of paddlefish tags. Paddlefish tags are available for purchase online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, at license vendors, and during business hours at Game and Fish Department offices in Bismarck, Dickinson, Jamestown, Devils Lake, Lonetree (Harvey) and Williston. Snaggers buying tags online have the option to have the tag mailed or can stop at a district office and pick it up during business hou...
Glasgow ̶ Paddlefish anglers planning to harvest a fish in the Upper Missouri River (between Fort Peck Dam and Fort Benton) need to apply for an Upper Missouri River paddlefish tag by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 22. For 2024, a total of 1,000 tags are available for the drawing. A 2024 fishing license is necessary before applying, and applications can be submitted online at fwp.mt.gov or at an FWP office. Anglers have the option to apply individually or as a party (up to five people) and have the option to purchase a bonus point at the time of...
Helena – If you’re interested in providing input on how Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is crafting fishing regulations for the next two years, now is your chance. FWP is taking public comment and asking for ideas on initial proposals for the 2025-2026 Fishing Regulations. The initial 64 proposals are online now and available for review and comment. Just go to fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/public-comment-opportunities/fishing-regulations. FWP is also looking for ideas for regulation changes that aren’t captured in these initial proposals. To answer quest...
Miles City - The 2023 paddlefish season on the Yellowstone and Lower Missouri rivers is now over, with a total estimated harvest of 776 paddlefish. After monitoring two paddlefish seasons (2022 and 2023) with open river passage at Intake Dam, the new normal appears to be a dispersed fishery between the state line to Tongue River confluence at Miles City, MT, and a full season length (May 15-June 30) without a need for an early in-season closure if anglers near the 1,000-fish harvest target. With a general perspective of how the fish and anglers...
The Montana Yellow Tag Paddlefishing season started May 15. As of June 3 a total of 596 were reported to have been caught this season. The season will end when the 1000th paddlefish has been harvested....
Jeff Benda, Fargo, poses with his paddlefish caught at the Confluence on May 2, 2023....
Miles City - The 2023 yellow tag paddlefishing season on the Yellowstone River and Missouri River downstream of Fort Peck Reservoir started Monday, May 15. Wednesday, May 17, will be the first harvest days of the season during which paddlefishing is allowed in all designated areas. Sunday, Monday and Thursday are designated catch-and-release days for paddlefish, and Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday are harvest days. Catch-and-release days restrict paddlefishing to the Intake Fishing Access Site only near Glendive. The paddlefish season w...
In 2022, over 40K people acquired paddlefish season tags in western North Dakota and eastern Montana. It is a major event for area anglers. In North Dakota, snagging of paddlefish is from May 1-21. Montana has three unique paddlefish seasons, and anglers may select only one area to fish for paddlefish. The Upper Missouri River from Fort Peck Dam to Fort Benton season is May 1-June 15. The Yellowstone River and Missouri River downstream of Fort Peck Dam season is May 15-June 30. The Fort Peck...
Helena - During its meeting on Feb. 22, the Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted a new regulation that prohibits snagging of paddlefish within the intake fish bypass channel on the Yellowstone River. The intake fish bypass channel is part of a Yellowstone River intake diversion dam project. The project’s objectives are to improve upstream and downstream fish passage for pallid sturgeon and other native species, including paddlefish, while maintaining water diversions into the lower Yellowstone project main canal. Snagging for paddlefish is v...
Helena - The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Feb. 22 in person at the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks headquarters in Helena, 1420 E. 6th Ave. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. The meeting will also be streamed live on the FWP website, and the public has the option to participate via Zoom or to attend in person. To make a comment via Zoom, you must register on the FWP website by noon on Feb. 21. The public will also be able to comment in person at any FWP regional office. The commission will make final decisions on the...
Helena - Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on several proposals slated to go to the Fish and Wildlife Commission in February. Comment is open through Feb. 3. After public comment, commissioners can offer amendments to the proposals as they see fit. The proposals and supporting documents, commissioner amendments and collected public comment are available on the FWP website. The commission will make a final decision on these proposals at its meeting on Feb. 22. Fish removal projects for 2023-2026 For 2023‐2026, there are 2...
Miles City - It was a wild paddlefish season, but not so much for harvest rates as for weird weather and river flows. The 2022 Yellow Tag paddlefish season on the Yellowstone and lower Missouri rivers ended June 30 with a final estimated harvest of 769 fish. It was an interesting season that started with minimal river flows and poor expectations that snowpack would change the situation. However, mountain snowstorms and rain showers in late May changed river flow conditions dramatically. Low flows early and high flows late, combined with a new...
For the first time since the completion of the Intake Diversion Dam on the Yellowstone River, pallid sturgeons have successfully swam upstream on their own. This was made possible because of the newly constructed bypass channel. The first pallid passed through the bypass channel on May 5. The fish was identified as "1997 HOPS" (male code 332). It had been hanging out at the Intake FAS boat ramp for a couple of days before passing through. "This is extremely encouraging, especially with the low...
For the first time since the completion of the Intake Diversion Dam on the Yellowstone River, pallid sturgeons have successfully swam upstream on their own. This was made possible because of the newly constructed bypass channel. The first pallid passed through the bypass channel on May 5. The fish was identified as “1997 HOPS” (male code 332). It had been hanging out at the Intake FAS boat ramp for a couple of days before passing through. “This is extremely encouraging, especially with the low flows on the Yellowstone River,” said David T...
Miles City - The 2022 paddlefishing season on the Yellowstone and Lower Missouri rivers started, Sunday, May 15. Harvest days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays on the Yellowstone and Lower Missouri. On Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, anglers are limited to catch and release of paddlefish, and only at Intake Diversion Dam Fishing Access Site. No catch and release is allowed upstream or downstream from Intake. The first harvest day that was open in all the yellow tag fishing area,...
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department announced May 9 that the state's 2022 paddlefish snagging season is closed to any additional harvest to provide long-term protection of the paddlefish population. An additional seven-day snag-and-release season will begin Monday, May 9 and run through Sunday, May 15. Paddlefish snaggers with an unused paddlefish tag can continue snagging during the additional snag-and-release season but must release all fish immediately. If a snagger has already used...
North Dakota’s paddlefish season opens May 1, and tags are only available for purchase online at the state Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov, and during normal business hours at Game and Fish offices in Bismarck, Dickinson and Williston. Snaggers buying tags online should plan accordingly and allow for a few days delivery through the mail. The season is scheduled to continue through May 21. However, depending on overall harvest, an early in-season closure may occur with a 24-hour notice issued by the state Game and Fish Dep...
Steve Harris, Jr., a Montana fisherman, has set a new world record for the largest paddlefish caught with a bow and arrow. The paddlefish, tipping the scale at 92 lbs., was caught on the bank of Yellowstone River, Sidney, on June 8. For the past 10 years he has been bowfishing; his friend, Justin Fisketjon, introduced him to the sport of bowfishing. Harris said, "Justin is a really great bowfisherman; he brought me to a night tournament shooting carp, and we got 2nd place and I kinda got hooked...
