HOOT OWL SEASON BEGINS
Though we had a cool and wet spring, summer is now upon us here in Southwest Montana and the surrounding areas. With that, it comes as no surprise that some hoot owl restrictions due to warm water and low flows have just been announced.
On July 11 at 2pm, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will put into effect fishing restrictions that prohibit fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight each day on a few in North-central and Southwest Montana, rivers including:
- The Lower Madison River (from Warm Springs Fishing Access Site to the confluence with the Jefferson River)
- The Madison River above Hebgen Reservoir (from the upstream most Yellowstone National Park boundary to Hebgen Reservoir).
Also, starting July 9, the following rivers in Yellowstone National Park will have daily hoot owl restrictions that close fishing from 2 p.m. to sunrise the following day:
- The Madison River and all associated tributaries.
- The Firehole River and all associated tributaries.
- The Gibbon River and all associated tributaries downstream of Norris Campground.
This is nothing to be alarmed about. We’ve already stopped fishing most of these waters in the park so as not to stress out the fish populations. If you’re on your own inside or outside the park, there are plenty of other places to fish.
If you’ve booked a trip with us, we know where to find cold, fishable water where the fish are biting. That being said, we may ask you to get out a little earlier so we can get on the water before it gets too warm, which can make catching fish harder and unsafe.
FISHING REPORT
Speaking of catching fish, the local fisheries have really been fishing well of late. These include:
- The Madison: Still seeing action on Yellow Sallies, PMDs, caddis. There are still a few golden stones hanging around and our guides have even run into a few green drakes.
- The Missouri: Though it has become more challenging due to more weeds and moss springing up as the water warms, still has tricos and caddis hatching.
- The Yellowstone: Caddis can still be fished on the surface, and salmonflies and golden stones can still be fished higher up.
- The Gallatin: Golden stones and salmonflies could still be found in the park and PMDs and caddis are hanging around the Four Corners, Big Sky and canyon areas.
- Hebgen Lake: It has been on fire this year. If you bring plenty of flying ants and Callibaetis you should be in for a great day.
As the hatches start to peter out, the start of one of favorite times of year begins: terrestrial season. We’re already getting strikes on ants on most of the rivers and in the next few days we’ll start fishing small hoppers. Can’t wait!
BOOKING UPDATE
If you’ve never fished Montana during terrestrial season it is a must-do. We’re super-busy with guides on the river all-day, everyday, but we can usually find someone to take guests at the last minute so give us a call.
Remember that half day trips run for four hours from the time we reach the fishing access site. Usually, the morning trips usually run from 7am to 11am while the afternoon ones go from 1pm to 5pm.
When one of our trips ends you know that first thing the guests usually do? Ask about booking another trip for 2027 with the same guide. Because of that, our dates fill up fast. If you want to get on the books for specific dates next year, now is the time to contact us.
This is especially important if you want to fish the Land of the Giants on the Missouri River from a jetboat. There are a limited number of guides/captains allowed to launch from the marina that services these boat trips so they truly are first-come, first-served. Get your spot before they all get taken!
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