Region 6 bull trout coordinator, Wade Fredenberg, teamed with noted Geographic photographer Joel Sartore in 2009 to capture underwater and aquarium-staged shots of bull trout in British Columbia’s Wigwam River drainage, the headwaters of the Kootenai River, known as the “crown jewel” of bull trout spawning areas. (Photo by Joel Sartore | National Geographic and Wade Fredenberg | USFWS, via Flickr, CC-BY-SA 2.0).
In response to record-low bull trout spawning nests in the South Fork of the Flathead River and some of its tributaries, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission last week adopted new closures in areas where the fish typically spawn and further restrictions on when the threatened fish may be caught by anglers.
The commission adopted four amendments at last week’s meeting to the fishing regulations for 2025-26 tied to bull trout in northwestern Montana offered by Vice Chairperson Patrick Tabor of Whitefish, all of which were supported by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
“These changes are intended to be a proactive measure that maintains limited fishing opportunity but reduces the amount of handling stress on bull trout,” FWP’s Kalispell-based fisheries biologist Leo Rosenthal said in a statement. “These fish are important ecologically and culturally, but they are also an important sport fish. We want to maintain opportunity for anglers to pursue this unique native species.”
Two of the amendments involve closing a 300-yard radius to fishing where Big Salmon Creek enters Big Salmon Lake. Purposefully fishing for bull trout on Big Salmon Creek is illegal because the fish is listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, but FWP said it has received reporters of anglers specifically targeting bull trout near the inlet to the lake.
The amendment says that redd – spawning nest – counts for bull trout in the creek in 2023 and 2024 were the lowest on record since data started being compiled in 1993. There were only 42% of the number of spawning beds in those years compared to the historical average.
“FWP suspects that illegal angling could be partially responsible for the decline in redd numbers,” FWP said in its rationale statement behind the amendments. “Reducing the amount of angler-induced handling stress may help stabilize the downward trend in adult bull trout numbers for the Big Salmon population.”
Credit: Shannon Downey/ USFWS
Bull trout were listed as a threatened species in 1998, but because the South Fork of the Flathead River still carries a relatively strong population, it is the only river in Montana where anglers can purposefully fish for bull trout, albeit during a limited season.
But because of the reduced number of spawning redds seen during the past two years, Tabor offered, and the commission accepted, two amendments to further restrict bull fishing on the South Fork and in Hungry Horse Reservoir in an attempt to push bull trout numbers back up.
FWP estimates adult bull trout numbers by counting the number of redds in eight tributaries to the South Fork of the Flathead – four tributaries to Hungry Horse Reservoir and four to the South Fork of the river.
FWP said those counts this year showed just 48% of the long-term average of redds, a record low that followed a previous record low set during 2023 and a continuing trend seen since 2006.
FWP monitoring data also shows the number of anglers along the South Fork have tripled since 2014, and the lowest section of South Fork of the Flathead produces about 59% of all bull trout caught legally out of the river, as it contains spawning beds popular with bull trout where tributaries like Little Salmon Creek and Gordon Creek dump into the river.
The amendment regarding the South Fork of the Flathead River upstream from Hungry Horse Reservoir will prohibit intentional bull trout fishing for the entire month of July. There will be a fishing prohibition place from the mouths of both Gordon and Little Salmon creeks 300 yards downstream from June 15 to Sept. 30.
Further, when fishing for bull trout, anglers must first obtain a Hungry Horse/South Fork Flathead Bull Trout Catch Card from FWP that they have to have in their possession when fishing.
FWP said in its rationale behind the amendment that shortening the season in an area where the fish are most vulnerable would allow the fish to go back to the streams they were born in to spawn without being pressured by anglers. Implementing closures near the mouths of the two creeks “may help stabilize the downward trend” in bull trout numbers, FWP said.
For Hungry Horse Reservoir, where more anglers have been fishing for bull trout since 2004, anglers would be limited to catch one bull trout per license year between the third Saturday in May through Aug. 15, down from a maximum two fish per year and one per day. Those anglers would also have to carry a catch card when fishing for bull trout.
“Reducing the amount of angler harvest in the reservoir will likely help stabilize the downward trend in adult bull trout numbers,” FWP wrote as part of its rationale basis for the changes.
The changes through all four amendments were supported by every person who offered public comment on the proposals, as well as the Montana Wildlife Federation and Montana Trout Unlimited.
“We strongly supported building in adaptive management proposals into the Statewide Fisheries Management Plan adopted by the Department, and these amendments to the regulations are the implementation of that well vetted strategy,” Montana Trout Unlimited’s executive and conservation directors wrote. “These changes are not coming out of the blue and MTU believes that they are a strategy to balance the interests of species conservation and recovery with the angling community.”
Chris Servheen, the president of the Montana Wildlife Federation, wrote to the commission that reducing angling pressure would be the easiest way to maintain the health of the fishery and the special use permit that allows people to catch bull trout on the South Fork of the Flathead.
“These native fish appear to be sensitive to handling so fishing has been closed in most waters. Bull trout also require clean, cold and connected waters to flourish so the Montana Wildlife Federation is concerned about future impacts on the species due to climate change,” Servheen wrote. “It is important for Fish, Wildlife and Parks to take proactive steps within its jurisdiction to maintain healthy populations.”
Jay Pravecek, the acting Fisheries Division administrator with FWP, said he appreciated Tabor’s amendments and the commission’s adoption of them.
“Our department believes and the science tells us that reducing fishing pressure and handling of bull trout will help stabilize the declining population numbers in these waters,” he said in a statement.