Montana Fishing Restrictions Eased

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has lifted fishing restrictions on the Bitterroot River. That makes it the second river this week in western Montana to be relieved of restrictions. The Clark Fork got the hall pass August 28th. The entire main stem of the Bitterroot has been closed to fishing from 2:00 p.m. until midnight since July 25th to reduce the impact on drought-stressed fish. Water temperatures are holding below the 70 degree restriction measurements. Of course there are still good common sense  rules to keep in mind regarding catch and release, getting your fish off the hook and back into the water quickly, etc. But I am sure anxious to get a line in the water on beautiful late-summer evenings on the Bitterroot! DB