Fishing returns to Jefferson

By The Standard Staff - 09/19/2007

The Jefferson River will reopen to fishing beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

The entire river was closed to fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight on July 11 due to high water temperatures. It was subsequently closed to all angling on Aug. 17 because of low flows. Both of these conditions stress and threaten wild trout, according to the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

“The Jefferson River Drought Management Plan allows FWP to consider reopening after seven consecutive days over 300 cubic feet per second and we reached that point on Sept. 17,” said Ron Spoon, FWP fisheries biologist.

“The inflows to the Jefferson River near Twin Bridges were extremely low this summer,” said Spoon.

He said the average daily flow in July was 462 cfs, which is the lowest on record, and the average daily flow in August was the fourth lowest on record at 303 cfs. The long-term average flow in July is 1,890 cfs and 788 cfs in August.

The Jefferson River Watershed Council met with major water users once each week during the low flow period to attempt to maintain a flow of at least 50 cfs at Waterloo.

The Big Hole River remains closed to all angling from the Rock Creek Road above Wisdom downstream to the mouth at Twin Bridges.

For additional information on all fishing restrictions and other drought updates, visit fwp.mt.gov and click on Drought & Fire Updates.