Adapt and Respond

Photo by Kevin League

This 10-year UMRRFMP builds upon past and recent public involvement and was developed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks with input from a Citizen Workgroup. The following goals for the UMRRFMP, 2020-2029 were identified:

1. Develop an adaptive and responsive fisheries management plan for the upper Missouri River system from Toston Dam to Holter Dam.
2. Manage principle game fish populations in all waterbody sections throughout the UMRRFMP area as quality, multi-species fisheries while recognizing the importance of other species in the system. Implement management strategies that emphasize trout and walleye while recognizing perch as an important game and forage species.
3. Evaluate and/or recommend revisions to management goals and strategies over the duration of the UMRRFMP.
4. Present standardized population monitoring evaluations and summaries annually to a Citizens Advisory Committee.

The UMRRFMP revision process began in June 2018. Public involvement included a Citizens Scoping Committee, five open houses, four public meetings and an online survey, Citizens Workgroup, and three additional open houses. Public involvement from summer 2018 to spring 2019 helped define five core public concerns for FWP and the Citizens Workgroup to address, those are:

1. Management plan responsiveness
2. Management plan duration
3. Re-establishing pre-2018 rainbow trout stocking rates throughout the plan area
4. Declining yellow perch population trends, specifically in Canyon Ferry and Holter Reservoirs
5. Walleye population size structure throughout the plan area

Public Comment: “[The Plan] allows for more flexibility and adaptability to manage a quality, multi-species fishery.”

A five-member Citizen Advisory Committee will be appointed each February by the FWP Fish and Wildlife Commission to function in an advisory capacity to FWP for fisheries management decisions throughout the plan area.  

Population abundance goals for each species in each waterbody section have been established using standardized relative abundance or catch per unit effort (CPUE) surveys. Species-specific goal ranges have been developed for each reservoir and CPUE goals have been developed for applicable species within each river section to determine if annual trend values are meeting species-specific goals.

In order to manage a fish community that includes multiple fish species, it is important to recognize that the goal for each species is affected by the success of management strategies for the other species in the system and not all fish species can be maximized simultaneously.

The primary plan goal for the two river sections is to emphasize management for wild trout while recognizing the importance of walleye, burbot and kokanee (Hauser Tailrace only) for providing additional angling opportunity.

• Management decisions based on standardized CPUE surveys (e.g., electrofishing)

The new UMRRFMP emphasizes management for trout and walleye while recognizing the importance of yellow perch as a game fish and a forage species.

• Management decisions based on standardized Relative Abundance surveys (e.g., gillnetting)

• Introduce Proportional Stocking Density (PSD) to walleye management in reservoirs throughout the plan area. PSD goal for all reservoirs is 30-60

In addition to species and waterbody-specific fisheries management strategies, the UMRRFMP establishes management criteria for the following issues: reservoir operations, fishing contests, habitat, disease and aquatic invasive species, piscivorous birds, access, flushing losses, low dissolved oxygen, and recreation management.