FWP Seeks Angler Help For Trout Research

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is asking anglers in the state to help with ongoing trout research projects. Working with Montana State University, biologists are in their second year of tagging trout in the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby and Madison rivers.

The ongoing research project is aimed at understanding trout population declines in those waterways, and overall health concerns for fish in the Upper Missouri River Basin.

Anglers are asked to report any tagged fish that they catch, essentially working as “citizen scientists” to provide information on environmental conditions and other factors that contribute to the survival and mortality of trout.

“This is a great chance for anglers to take an active part in this research that will benefit the fishery,” said FWP Fisheries Manager Mike Duncan in a press release. “We need your help. Please report the tagged fish you catch.”

Each fish tag — colored blue or yellow — has a unique number and will be attached near the dorsal fin.

FWP says that anglers who catch a tagged fish should use clippers to remove the tag as close to the skin as possible while minimizing handling time and exposure to air for the fish, then submit a report for each tagged fish they catch from the four rivers mentioned above.

These reports will include information such as the tag number, date, location, condition of the fish, gear type used, and whether the angler released or harvested the fish.

A how-to video on the process is available on FWP’s website.

FWP operates a rewards program as an incentive for anglers to take part and report tags. Reported blue tags will be entered into regular drawings for gear and fishing trips, while reports of yellow tags are each worth $100.

Some fish may still be carrying tags from last year, according to FWP, which may be covered in algae and less noticeable to anglers, but the same reporting process and reward opportunities apply to older tags.

Reports can be submitted by visiting mtcfru.org/ msutag or by calling 406994-2384.

Anglers and other river recreationists may also meet staff from MSU while on the river. These creel clerks will be interviewing recreational river users as part of the ongoing research effort.

The research project in 2024 after annual sampling the year before found fish numbers to be at or near historical lows in sections of the Upper Missouri River Basin. Since then, FWP has been working closely with MSU to study fish mortality, recruitment and health.