The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are echoing Montana wildlife officials’ concerns about the illegal introduction of non-native fish following reports of brown trout in the Flathead River Basin.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks confirmed that two anglers caught brown trout in Ashley Lake this year. A third fisherman reported catching a brown trout in Church Slough, though officials were unable to independently verify the report.  

A prized quarry for fly fishermen, brown trout are stocked in many Montana waterbodies. But fisheries biologists said the cold-loving salmonids are considered invasive in the Flathead River Basin because they prey upon and compete with native fish species. 

Both Ashley Lake and Church Slough are hydrologically connected to the Flathead River, raising concerns that any introduced fish could spread throughout the entire drainage, including some waters governed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The tribal and state fisheries programs cooperatively manage Flathead Lake, and several smaller streams cross through the northern reaches of the reservation to empty into Flathead Lake. 

Tribal fisheries biologists are urging any anglers that catch a brown trout upstream of SKQ Dam to turn the fish in to either the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Fisheries Program offices in Polson or to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 1 office in Kalispell. 

Brown trout can typically be distinguished from other trout species by their golden brown or yellow-brown color and dark spots surrounded by lighter halos. In large waterbodies, including Ashley Lake, brown trout may instead appear silvery with a dark green back overlaid by large dark spots.   

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 406-758-4433 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.