2023 FALL STATE MEETING

Great Falls, MT – Heritage Inn for the Fall State Meeting

Heritage Inn

1700 Fox Farm Rd

Great Falls, MT 59404

406-761-1900

We have a block of rooms reserved. I am trying to get them to donate a room that we can use to have a drawing for anyone that RSVP’s 8 days prior to the meeting so we can have an accurate number for food. 

Friday, Sept 29

6:00 – 8:00

Hors d’oeures 

Saturday, Sept 30

7:00 am Breakfast

8:00 am Meeting

11:30 working lunch (sandwiches) we can move this later if you would like I thought it might be a good time to get up and move around.

AIS activities for August

See a brief update on AIS activities for August:

• Save the Date:  AIS Season Wrap Up Meeting November 29^th and 30^th,  Montana WILD in Helena. Staff will provide an overview of the 2023 season, discuss plans for 2024 and seek input and guidance from partners. Registration information to follow in the coming weeks.

• Watercraft Inspection: 
• Over 86,000 inspections have been conducted so far this season with 43 mussel fouled vessels intercepted (see attached) and over 400 with aquatic weeds.
• Recent intercepted mussel fouled vessels have included:

• 8/18/23:  A ski boat that was recently purchased in Minnesota was intercepted with mussels at the Wibaux watercraft inspection station (operated by Garfield Conservation District).  Boat was decontaminated, locked to the trailer and released to it’s final destination in Pend Oreille, Idaho.  Idaho was notified to allow for follow-up.
• 8/22/23:  The Wibaux station intercepted a wakeboard boat that was recently purchased in Minnesota with mussels in the sea strainer.  Boat was decontaminated, locked to the trailer and destination authorities at Lake Tahoe were notified for follow-up.
• 9/3/23:  The Broadus inspection station (managed by the Powder River Conservation District) intercepted a recently purchased mussel fouled ski boat from Minnesota heading for Big Sky, Montana. Staff decontaminated the boat, locked it to the trailer and FWP staff followed up with the owner for a full decontamination.
• The boating season is winding down. The St Xavier and Sula stations are now closed. Other stations will be closing in the coming weeks. Inspection stations on higher risk corridors will remain open into October. More information can be found on the FWP AIS Page.

• FWP Wardens support compliance at watercraft inspection stations and compliance with AIS regulations.  So far this season wardens have issued 44 citations and 144 AIS related warnings.
• See the Inspection Station Dashboard for more information on inspection activities at each station.
• Early Detection:
• The AIS staff have collected and processed over 1,400 samples so far this season with NO invasive mussels detected in Montana samples.

• No Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM) has been found in Beaver Lake near Whitefish this season following 3 comprehensive surveys.  Another follow-up survey will be conducted in October. Eradication of EWM is the goal for Beaver Lake through persistent survey and removal.
• Eurasian watermilfoil in Nilan Reservoir (near Augusta) was treated with herbicide by FWP in 2022.  To date, no evidence of EWM has been found in the lake.  Nilan is the only location of EWM on the Rocky Mountain Front and EWM eradication is the objective for that system.
• A large population of EWM was recently confirmed in Pablo Reservoir. FWP is coordinating with CSKT and US Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a treatment plan.
• To date, no other new AIS populations have been found in Montana waters this season.
• Outreach and Education:

• FWP and the Flathead Lakers Flathead Lakers worked together this summer to visit marinas around Flathead Lake asking for their help to ensure boats are clean and free of AIS before they launch.
• An AIS education workshop is scheduled for October 17^th in Missoula.  Contact Brent Smith to register or for more information (see attached flier)
• Follow the Protect Our Waters page on Facebook for AIS updates and highlights.
• In the News:

• Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes talk to students about AIS on a Mussel Walk
• Keep, kill and turn in smallmouth bass to address expansion into the Bitterroot River
• New Report on Global cost of invasive species
• Wildlife Forever  AIS Risk Assessment Report
• USGS in the process of developing a National EDRR Framework for Invasive Species  
• AIS outreach is working in British Columbia
• Water management and AIS in Colorado.
• Invasive sharks in Idaho?

 Please reach out to the AIS program with questions or for further information.

Thank you

Thomas Woolf

Aquatic Invasive Species Bureau Chief

Fisheries Division

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

P.O. Box 200701

Helena, MT 59620-0701

Ph: (406) 444-1230

fwp.mt.gov

Whitefish Lake State Park to close temporarily for road construction

KALISPELL — Road construction is scheduled to start June 19 at Whitefish Lake State Park and force the temporary closure of the state park for that week. The park will be closed to all public use, including day-use and the boat ramp, through construction, which is scheduled to conclude June 23. The park could reopen sooner if work is completed ahead of schedule. For more information and updates on Whitefish Lake State Park, visit https://fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/whitefish-lake.

FWP accepting applications for ice fishing contests 

HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is accepting ice fishing contests applications for the 2023-2024 season. Participants must comply with state fishing regulations, including daily and possession limits. 

Applications for fishing contests may be approved, approved with conditions, or denied by the FWP Fisheries Division in Helena. Conditions placed on contests may help to minimize fish mortality, regulate harvest, reduce user conflicts and/or require additional access site maintenance when needed. 

Information on the proposed fishing contests can be found on the FWP Fishing Contest webpage, fwp.mt.gov/fish/regulations/contests, or by calling 406-444-2449.  

Applications may be mailed to FWP Fisheries Division, Attn: Fishing Contests, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701, or emailed to fwpfsh@mt.gov.  All applications must be received on or before July 15. 

Multiple Bighorn River fishing access sites partially closed due to flooding

Vehicle access prohibited, walk-in access still allowed

BILLINGS – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has implemented partial site closures at Manuel Lisa, General Custer, Grant Marsh and Arapooish fishing access sites due to flooding. Heavy precipitation in the Bighorn Basin has led to increased flows on the Bighorn River. Water at these sites has inundated roadways and parking areas.

Due to these conditions, motorized access is temporarily prohibited at all four sites. Walk-in access is still allowed at this time, but visitors must ensure they do not obstruct roadways or other access points when parking. Visitors are encouraged to use caution at these sites because of the quickly changing river conditions.

The sites will reopen to vehicle access as soon as conditions allow.

For a full list of current FWP site closures and restrictions, visit:https://myfwp.mt.gov/fwpPub/allRestrictions

Report paddlefish harvested in the Dredge Cuts, receive a free hat!

By law, archery anglers need to report their harvested paddlefish within 48 hours

FORT PECK – July 1 marks the beginning of the archery-only paddlefish season in the Fort Peck Dredge Cuts below Fort Peck Dam. Archery anglers need to purchase a 2023 blue paddlefish harvest tag to target paddlefish in the Dredge Cuts. As in previous years, harvested paddlefish are required to be reported within 48 hours.

Anglers can self-report their harvested paddlefish and voluntarily submit a dentary (jaw) sample at three self-creeling locations near the Dredge Cuts: Floodplain (Winter Harbor), Nelson Dredge, and Roundhouse Point boat ramps. Anglers can also report online at myfwp.mt.gov, or by calling the phone hotline (1-877-FWP-WILD or 406-444-0356).

Anglers need to provide all necessary information about their harvest, including: angler tag number, jaw tag number (if present), length (eye-tail fork), sex, and date of harvest. 

In addition, anglers are encouraged to provide a section of their harvested paddlefish lower jaw at the creeling stations. The jaw section is used to age harvested paddlefish and allows biologists and managers to understand age structure of the population and ensure sustainable management of paddlefish in the future. 

If anglers fill out all the required information on the envelopes and voluntarily submit a jaw section, they will receive a free unique 2023 Montana paddlefish hat! Anglers should try their best to provide as much info as they can, both on the fish and themselves. Without a legible name and mailing address written on the envelope, it can be difficult to get the correct person identified.

Anglers failing to report a harvested paddlefish within 48 hours will be ineligible to purchase a paddlefish tag in 2024.

Questions regarding the Dredge Cut paddlefish season or reporting paddlefish harvested in the Dredge Cuts can be directed to biologist Jared Krebs at 406-808-7068 or jared.krebs@mt.gov .

Fish Tales Articles due

SWATE Online Walleye Rod Live Auction!

New LIVE Auction for Walleye Rod! – CLICK HERE!

**You must be logged into membership portal to bid**

2023 Fort Peck Spawning Update

Heath Headley and others from Fort Peck are working hard on the late season Spawn. Check it out here!

SPAWNING

Tongue River Reservoir State Park campground to close for road work

Tongue River Reservoir State Park campground to close for road work Campers Point unavailable May 10-12 MILES CITY – The Campers Point Campground at Tongue River Reservoir State Park will be closed May 10-12 for road repairs, but other camping areas will remain open. Currently campsite use at TRR is first come, first serve, until reservations open on May 19. People staying at Campers Point prior to May 10-12 will need to relocate to another area. The rest of the campgrounds at the site will remain open during that time. The Campers Point main boat ramp will be closed those three days, and access to the marina store may be limited. The Peewee North Campground boat ramp will be open. FWP staffers will post signage to announce the brief closure.