Fishing Closures During Spawning for Sections of Big Hole, Ruby, Beaverhead Rivers

Fishing will close starting Oct. 1 for sections of the Big Hole, Ruby and Beaverhead rivers to protect trout during spawning season.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted emergency fishing regulations in June in response to struggling fish populations in the three rivers. These restrictions limit fall angling during the brown trout spawning season in some stretches of the rivers.

Trout abundances in several areas of the three rivers have steadily declined since 2011 and are at or near historical lows. Meanwhile, fishing pressure in these areas has increased. The emergency fishing re...