FWP reduces trout possession limit to three
Laura Lundquist
(Missoula Current) Anticipating that Montana’s population surge will continue, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park has joined surrounding states in further limiting the number of trout people can keep when fishing in streams and rivers in the central and western regions of the state.
On Tuesday, the FWP commission approved an amendment to the fishing regulations that decreased the daily and possession limits for combined trout in Western and Central district rivers and streams to three from five. Cutthroat trout aren’t included in combined trout, and slot limits - limits on the size of trout that can be kept - still apply.
Region 4 commissioner KC Walsh said he proposed the amendment because it would be a proactive step to preserve trout fisheries into the future.
“I perceive my role as a commissioner to think strategically about what this state is going to be looking like in 5 or 10 years and how we can get ahead of the type of issues we’re struggling with on the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Jefferson and some other major rivers where we’re kinda trying to clean up after the fact,” Walsh said.
Jay Pravecek, acting fisheries administrator, said one of the goals with the 2025-2026 regulations changes was to simplify, remove exceptions and make the rules more consistent across lakes and streams where they could be. One of the changes was to have rivers statewide adopt Montana’s existing five-fish limit. Walsh said that created a problem for rivers like the Dearborn, which already has a three-fish limit. The push for simplicity would bump that up, which could result in trout populations taking a greater hit. In the Western District, 28 rivers have an exception for a three-fish combined trout limit.
Meanwhile, most neighboring states and provinces already have a lower bag limit, usually three trout, for their streams. Walsh said. Washington state has a two-fish limit, as does the Clearwater region of Idaho.
Walsh said that Montana is unique in the respect that it preserves populations of wild fish in its streams by not stocking hatchery fish. That means the populations must be self-sufficient and must successfully produce offspring to keep the populations going. If too many fish are removed, it could knock trout populations too far back to recover. So as angling pressure increases, it would be wise to lower the bag limit to at least match those of other states, Walsh said. FWP stocks fish in reservoirs and lakes so the possession limits for those waterbodies could be higher, Walsh said.
“The state is enjoying growth; our country is seeing very significant growth in immigration, and we may have people moving to the state that need more clarity on what our Montana values represent. I feel that a lower limit on rivers and streams is warranted for that reason alone,” Walsh said. “And does anyone think that drought conditions are going to go away? Or that the current climate challenges are going to be reduced and we’ll see any reductions in the conflict in terms of water flows between irrigation and wildlife interests? I think these are conditions that we’ll be struggling with for a while.”
During public comment, some groups, including the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, supported the lower bag limit. Will Israel of Montana Outfitters and Guides Association said it was a proactive step that would encourage “a shift toward quality over quantity fishing.” The Montana Wildlife Federation opposed the proposal because it could infringe on the rights of harvest and subsistence anglers.
Region 3 commissioner Susan Brooke said the three-fish limit could interfere with the state constitutional right to harvest fish. But Walsh pointed out that a three-fish limit isn’t that much more restrictive than the existing five-fish limit and that some rivers already restrict anglers to three fish. Brooke then argued that anglers hadn’t asked for a reduced limit - some were even opposed to it - so making the change now would be solving a problem that isn’t there.
Region 1 commissioner Pat Tabor said that was kind of the point.
“Our obligation is to protect the fish, not to protect the rights of an angler,” Tabor said. “As far as adaptive management, when we adapt, it feels a little too late. It’s like, why didn’t we get ahead of this curve? We’re adapting, but could we have seen this coming and maybe put a measure in ahead before we get to a point where it’s more drastic? We’re talking about going from five to three. We’re not taking that much away. What we’re really doing is matching it to the behavior on the ground but also putting in a preservation for the future.”
The commissioners approved the proposed 2025-2026 fishing regulations and all amendments including Walsh’s bag limit and Tabor’s proposal to allow spearfishing of northern pike in the western district.
Contact reporter Laura Lundquist at lundquist@missoulacurrent.com.