Bitterroot River

Montana wildlife officials have implemented a mandatory catch, kill and report regulation for smallmouth bass along the entire Bitterroot River.

The commission that oversees management of Montana’s fish and wildlife is meeting in Helena on Aug. 17. Commissioners will vote on hunting, fishing and trapping regulations in the meeting.

Record setting high temperatures and gusty winds created a dramatic increase in fire activity in western Montana Tuesday. However, much of the increased activity was inside containment lines of existing fires. High water temperatures prompted Montana wildlife officials to implement hoot-owl restrictions on the lower Madison River starting Aug. 16.

The first rivers in Montana have been closed to fishing due to hot dry weather.

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks biologists say historically low water levels and hot temperatures may severely impact cold-water fish in the region.

In Montana, we're used to hitting the water in our tubes, rafts or waders and going wherever the river takes us. Anyone can recreate on streams in the state below the high-water mark — no matter who owns the land beneath them. This isn't possible in most of the country. How did we end up with such strong stream access protections, and what does the law's future look like?

Bitterroot National Forest raised its fire danger to high this week. Montana wildlife officials restrict afternoon fishing on three rivers in southwest Montana.

Federal environmental regulators have approved a plan for protecting western Montana’s Bitterroot River from nutrient pollution.

As activity picks up on rivers and creeks around western Montana, floaters are being urged to prepare for potentially dangerous debris in the water. Boaters are finding more debris and log jams in western Montana rivers than in a typical year, state Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials say.

Weather forecasters are calling for another wet week west of the Continental Divide that could keep rivers running high.