This story also appeared in Mountain Journal Government officials are limiting fishing access to nearly 30 rivers to alleviate pressure on cold-water fish species as hot temperatures and dwindling streamflows blanket Montana and the broader Greater Y ellowstone Ecosystem. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks on July 28 announced the most recent round of restrictions, which adds 11 rivers to the list of waterways fully or partially closed to fishing and brings the total number of Montana restrictions to 24. Anglers are now prohibited from fishing portions of the Blackfoot River and Rock Creek after 2 p.m. All or portions of the following blue-ribbon trout streams that were already subject to the afternoon “hoot-owl” fishing regulations include the Madison, Big Hole, Gallatin, East Gallatin, Jefferson, Upper Clark Fork, Bitterroot, Shields and Smith rivers. In addition, Yellowstone National Park announced July 28 that all rivers inside the park’s borders are off-limits to fishing between 2 p.m. and sunrise. The park’s announcement builds off the full closures of the Gibbon, Firehole and Madison rivers NPS implemented July 15.  The regulations followed an unusually warm winter that contributed to a dismal snowpack in Montana and across the West. Significant June and July storms that brought multiple inches of rainfall to some parts of Montana helped rivers recover from the winter’s poor showing. But recent heat spells are reversing those precipitation gains, according to FWP spokesperson Morgan Jacobsen. Hoot-owl closures have become common in Montana to prevent fish mortality associated with  warm and low water. During the hottest hours of the day, fish struggle to recover from angling-related stress, necessitating fishing bans between 2 p.m. and midnight. Warmer water holds less oxygen, and temperatures above 80 degrees can lead to fish kills, according to FWP.  As a rule of thumb, the agency considers implementing hoot-owl closures after a stream gauge has reached 73 degrees or higher for three consecutive days. Rivers with populations of fish that are especially sensitive to warm temperatures, such as bull trout and cutthroat, have a lower temperature threshold for closures. To protect bull trout and westslope cutthroat, all fishing is prohibited within the 100-yard radius where three cooler tributaries join the Clark Fork River in west-central Montana. The tributaries affected include Fish Creek, Rattlesnake Creek and the St. Regis River. The East Gallatin, pictured here on July 30, 2026, is one of the 24 rivers Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has put under angling restrictions to protect fish through the hottest days of the summer. Credit: Amanda Eggert / MTFP The same day FWP announced its most recent round of restrictions, Yellowstone officials announced that all rivers and streams in the park are closed to fishing after 2 p.m. The restriction builds on existing regulations that closed the Firehole River and the portion of the Madison inside the park boundary to all fishing. The stretch of the Gibbon that’s downstream of Norris Campground is also fully closed. Yellowstone has received reports of dead fish in the Firehole, the agency noted in a July 15 press release. The park urged anglers to fish during the coolest times of day, land fish quickly and let them recover before release. The agency wrote that cooperation will protect the park’s fishery and could prevent further restrictions. Park officials also noted that a recent change opening the park to fishing on the Firehole, Gibbon and Madison rivers on May 1, weeks earlier than it has historically, was designed to allow for more fishing when conditions are better for trout. On June 4, FWP hosted a virtual town hall to prepare anglers for the challenges posed by the unusually low snowpack much of the state received. Well above-average temperatures led many places, even at high elevations, to receive rain rather than snow over the Christmas holiday. Bridger Bowl ski area outside Bozeman closed three weeks earlier than planned due to late March temperatures that approached 80 degrees, decimating its snowpack.  Jacobsen told Mountain Journal that the restrictions the agency has implemented in recent weeks are likely to remain in place until temperatures fall or precipitation increases. Full closures or additional restrictions could be coming, he added. “These restrictions are dynamic,” Jacobsen said. “We encourage people to keep a close eye on the restrictions page on our website for what’s in place currently.” FWP has a collection of water rights designed to protect aquatic ecosystems by preserving instream flows in drought years. Basins where the agency has directed more junior water users to stop making water withdrawals as of July 31 include the Bighorn, Gallatin, Shields, Smith and Tongue river basins. The post Angling restricted on two dozen rivers in Montana, Yellowstone National Park appeared first on Montana Free Press. ...read more read less