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Hoot-owl restrictions in effect on section of Madison River • Daily Montanan [1]

['Daily Montanan Staff', 'Micah Drew', 'More From Author', '- June', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img']

Date: 2025-06

Hoot–owl restrictions are in effect on the upper Madison River above Hebgen Lake, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Hoot–owl restrictions prohibit fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight each day. These restrictions started Thursday and will stay in effect until conditions improve.

For other restrictions, FWP directed people 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, FWP said. 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, FWP said. 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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[1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/briefs/hoot-owl-restrictions-in-effect-on-section-of-madison-river/

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