The state Fish and Wildlife Commission on Tuesday approved updated fishing regulations that include an expanded single-hook restriction on the Flathead River.

A regulation change in 2020 limited anglers to using only single-point hooks on the three forks of the Flathead River, upstream of the Teakettle Fishing Access Site. Commissioners approved extending the ban on treble and double hooks on the main stem of the Flathead River to Flathead Lake. The regulations do not apply to Hungry Horse Reservoir. 

“Westslope cutthroat trout are very naïve to flies and lures and are known to be caught multiple times in a season and throughout their lives, making them exceptionally vulnerable to hooking mortality,” the state wildlife agency noted in its report on the regulation updates. “Single-pointed hooks make catch and release more effective while still allowing all types of fishing.” 

The agency received four comments on the proposal that were generally positive. 

“While there weren’t a ton of comments about that today, it is still a pretty significant change,” commented Dillon Tabish, regional communication and education program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.   

Also on Tuesday, Commission Vice Chair Pat Tabor carried a successful amendment to remove the lake whitefish exception from Flathead Lake, reverting the whitefish catch limits to the district standard of 20 fish per day and 40 in possession. 

Tabor also proposed an amendment to change some aspects of spearfishing in the western district, which passed unanimously. All waters are now closed to spearing of game and non-game fish except for northern pike, either through the ice or by swimming in waters open to fishing.  

Mark Fuller, a fishing outfitter in the Flathead Valley, said during public comment that he supported all amendments that increase fishing on northern pike. Regarding spearfishing, however, he stated that he hopes there will be increased specificity in the regulation.  

“This fishery is one of a kind,” Fuller said of Northwest Montana. “It’s time to take action and implement regulations to ensure that future generations can experience these fisheries like... so many of us have.” 

Commissioner K.C. Walsh moved to amend the daily and possession limits for combined trout in western and central district rivers and streams from five fish daily to three fish daily to alleviate issues as angling and environmental pressures increase.  

Tabish pointed out that the amendment does not apply to cutthroat trout in the western district, so it does not affect many fisheries near the Flathead Valley.  

The amendment passed with Commissioners Brian Cebull and Susan Kirby Brooke in disagreement.  

Tabor also moved to adjust regulations for bull trout on the Hungry Horse Reservoir. Anglers are allowed one fish per license year from the third Saturday in May through Aug. 15. Catch and release is allowed the rest of the year with a Hungry Horse or South Fork Flathead permit validation, and a catch card must be in possession when fishing for bull trout.  

There is also no intentional angling for bull trout except catch and release for the month of July on the South Fork of the Flathead River upstream from Hungry Horse Reservoir. Angling is prohibited from Gordon Creek and Little Salmon Creek downstream 300 years from June 15 to Sept. 30. 

TABOR ALSO updated the Commission on wildlife issues in Region 1, specifically referencing the recent finding of chronic wasting disease in the Flathead Valley’s Hunting District 170. A symptomatic buck was seen in October at the Flathead County landfill and later euthanized. It marked the first case of the fatal disease in the hunting district. 

Following the discovery, Tabor OK'd the request to increase the number of 170-00 Deer B licenses in the district for individual hunters from one to two.  

Tabor said officials reacted with “quick haste” in calling for an emergency increase in B tags to expand hunting opportunities. 

He noted that game check stations in Region 1 are slightly outpacing last year's results. 

The Commission also approved wolf trapping regulations that build on a federal court order that limits wolf trapping within an area that includes all of Regions 1, 2 and 3, along with the western portions of Regions 4 and 5 from Jan. 1 through Feb. 15.   

Starting Dec. 1, trappers in Region 1 who are trapping on the ground must obtain a free Supplemental Trapping Permit if they are targeting nongame species like racoons, badgers and red fox, or predatory animals like weasel, skunks and coyotes. Trappers using live cage traps are exempt from the requirement.  

The regulations also outline requirements for trappers following the incidental capture of a grizzly bear. 

“The reasons we’re proposing these changes are fairly simple,” said FWP spokesperson Greg Lemon in a media release this week. “We want a better understanding of the scope of coyote trapping on the landscape and we want to do what we can to provide trapping opportunities while limiting or preventing the chance of the incidental capture of a grizzly bear.” 

The proposals and amendments can be found on the Nov. 12 Commission meeting page on the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ website at fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/commission/october-2024-meeting.  

The Commission is set to meet again on Dec. 19.  

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.