HELENA, Mont. — The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission has decided to approve four additional protections for bull trout in Hungry Horse Reservoir and the South Fork of the Flathead River.

The new regulations aim to stabilize declining bull trout numbers.

The following changes to the regulations were approved:

• Big Salmon Creek: Closed to all fishing within 300 yards of the inlet (where the creek enters the lake) of Big Salmon Lake.
• Big Salmon Lake: Closed to all fishing within 300 yards of the inlet (where the creek enters the lake) of Big Salmon Lake.
• Hungry Horse Reservoir: One fish per license year, from the third Saturday in May to August 15. Catch and release the rest of the year with validation of your Hungry Horse/South Fork Flathead permit on your fishing license. A Hungry Horse/South Fork Bull Trout Catch Card is a must have when fishing for bull trout. See bull trout under “What I need to fish in Montana” in the Montana Fishing Regulations 2025. All bull trout must be immediately released or killed and counted as a limit when harvest is permitted. It is illegal to possess a live bull trout for any reason.
• South Fork Flathead River: No intentional fishing for bull trout except for catch-and-release July 1 through July 31. Angling is prohibited from the mouths of Gordon Creek and Little Salmon Creek downstream 300 meters from June 15 to September 30. Horse Trout/South Fork Flathead Catch Card must be in possession when fishing for bull trout. See bull trout under “What do I need to fish in Montana” in the 2025 Montana Fishing Regulations for application information. All bull trout should be released promptly with little or no delay. It is illegal to possess a live bull trout for any reason. Fishing for trout is not permitted in tributaries of the South Fork Flathead River or Big Salmon Lake.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks sent the following:

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission has approved additional protections for bull trout in Hungry Horse Reservoir and the South Fork of the Flathead River in northwestern Montana.

The commission approved four amendments to Montana’s fishing regulations at its Nov. 12 meeting in Helena. Vice President Patrick Tabor of Whitefish supported the amendments with the support of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

“I appreciate Vice President Pat Tabor’s work on these important changes to the bull trout fishery,” said Jay Pravecek, Acting Administrator of the Fisheries Division. “Our department believes, and the science tells us, that reducing fishing pressure and handling bull trout will help stabilize declining population numbers in these waters.”

The regulatory changes come as FWP reports low numbers of bull trout spawning nests, known as reds, in many areas of the South Fork Flathead River watershed, including Big Salmon Creek and other tributaries. The bull trout was listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 1998. Historically one of Montana’s strongholds for bull trout, the South Fork of the Flathead River is the only river in the state that allows intentional fishing of bull trout through a limited season.

“These changes are intended to be a proactive measure that maintains limited fishing opportunities but reduces the amount of handling stress on bull trout,” said Leo Rosenthal, Kalispell-based FWP fisheries biologist. “These fish are ecologically and culturally important, but they are also an important sport fish. We want to maintain the opportunity for anglers to pursue this unique indigenous species.”

Angler surveys show that 44 percent of bull trout caught in the South Fork of the Flathead River are caught in the lower reaches of the river. The migratory bull trout in this lower part of the drainage is vulnerable and by shortening the season, the fish could migrate to their native streams without being targeted by fishermen. In addition, bull trout are known to congregate near the mouths of key spawning tributaries such as Little Salmon Creek and Gordon Creek. These confluence areas have well-defined holes and are areas known to target concentrations of bull trout. Reducing the amount of angler-induced handling stress can help stabilize the declining trend in adult bull trout numbers.

Here are the changes to bull trout regulations:

Big Salmon Creek: Closed to all fishing within 300 yards of the inlet (where the creek enters the lake) of Big Salmon Lake.

Big Salmon Lake: Closed to all fishing within 300 yards of the inlet (where the creek enters the lake) of Big Salmon Lake.

Hungry Horse Reservoir: One fish per license year, from the third Saturday in May to August 15. Catch and release the rest of the year with validation of your Hungry Horse/South Fork Flathead permit on your fishing license. A Hungry Horse/South Fork Bull Trout Catch Card is a must have when fishing for bull trout. See bull trout under “What I need to fish in Montana” in the Montana Fishing Regulations 2025. All bull trout must be immediately released or killed and counted as a limit when harvest is allowed. It is illegal to possess a live bull trout for any reason.

South Fork Flathead River: No intentional fishing for bull trout except for catch-and-release July 1 through July 31. Angling is prohibited from the mouths of Gordon Creek and Little Salmon Creek downstream 300 meters from June 15 to September 30. Horse Trout/South Fork Flathead Catch Card must be in possession when fishing for bull trout. See bull trout under “What do I need to fish in Montana” in the 2025 Montana Fishing Regulations for application information. All bull trout should be released promptly with little or no delay. It is illegal to possess a live bull trout for any reason. Fishing for bull trout is not permitted in tributaries of the South Fork Flathead River or Big Salmon Lake.