South Fork West Fork Gallatin River

MT Crossbow

Fishing with a crossbow is unlawful in Montana.

MT Noodling/Catching Fish by Hand

It is unlawful to catch any fish by hand in Montana.

MT Central District Snagging

Snagging of fish is allowed only on waters specified in District Exceptions.

MT Central District Submerged Spearing

In all waters open to fishing, non-game fish may be taken with rubber or pneumatic-propelled spears by persons swimming or submerged. Game fish species may be taken with rubber or pneumatic-propelled spears by persons swimming or submerged but only from designated waters.

MT Central District Bait Restrictions

Live fish may not be used as bait in the Central Fishing District unless the waterbody is listed under the "Live Bait" section below.•Game fish, including yellow perch, may not be used as bait except as authorized below under "Dead Bait". See "Game Fish" in definitions (page 5) for complete list of game species.• It is unlawful to release live bait of any kind into Montana waters; do not empty any live bait containers at your fishing site.•Collection methods: Non-game fish may be taken for use as live bait in the following manner:- with hook and line; or- with seines no larger than 12 feet x 4 feet; or- with minnow traps (the dimensions shall not exceed 24 inches x 12 inches x 12 inches); or- with cast nets (maximum 6-foot radius) and dip nets (no larger than 3 feet x 3 feet).• See "Dead Bait" and "Live Bait" sections below for details on possession and use of non-game bait fish.•Collection Locations: Non-game fish for use as live bait may be taken from waters where live fish may be used as bait (see water list under "Live Bait"). Non-game fish may be collected from water open to angling in the Central District but must be killed upon collection and may not be used as live bait.• On waters in the Central Fishing District that do not allow the use of live bait fish, possession of live bait fish is prohibited, except for commercial bait seiners when using a commercial bait seining permit while collecting fish on approved commercial bait seining waters.• On waters within the Central Fishing District that do not allow the use of live bait and are not restricted to artificial flies and lures, sculpins may be collected and used as dead bait. Collection screens or nets may not exceed four (4) feet in length on any side. Sculpins must be killed immediately upon collection and may not be used as live bait. [Note: sculpins may not be used for bait in the Western Fishing District.]•All unattended fishing devices (crayfish traps, minnow traps, fish traps, setlines, etc.) must have the angler's name and phone number or name and individual identifying number issued by the department attached.•Areas within the Central Fishing District that have been identified as contaminated with Eurasian watermilfoil have additional bait restrictions as described below.Dead Bait• Non-game fish (see "Collection methods" above) that are freshly killed or have been preserved by freezing, salting or pickling may be used as bait on all waters not restricted to artificial lures only. Heads and entrails of non-game fish may also be used as bait.•Whole game fish may not be used as bait. Parts/pieces of bass, burbot (ling), channel catfish, crappie, northern pike, paddlefish, sauger, shovelnose sturgeon, walleye, or yellow perch may be used as bait if edible portions are not wasted.• The eggs of Salmonids (char, cisco, arctic grayling, salmon or trout) may be used as bait. Other parts/pieces of Salmonids may not be used as bait.Live Bait• Live fish may not be used as bait in the Central Fishing District unless the waterbody is listed under the "Live Bait" section below.• Live bait fish may not be imported into Montana, except by permit for use in Bighorn Lake and Afterbay Reservoir.•Bait fish collected in the Bighorn River drainage of Wyoming may be imported under a permit issued by FWP for use only in Bighorn Lake.•Live animals such as meal worms, red worms, night crawlers, leeches, maggots, crayfish, reptiles, amphibians and insects may be used as bait on all waters not restricted to artificial lures only. Transport of invasive species is unlawful.•Leeches may only be imported into Montana from FWP-approved leech dealers. Anglers who import leeches must have in their possession a bill- of-sale (a receipt) from the approved out-of-state leech dealer when fishing with leeches in Montana.• Non-game fish species that may be collected and possessed and used as live bait in the Central Fishing District include only the following: fathead minnow, flathead chub, western silvery minnow, plains minnow, emerald shiner, longnose dace, lake chub, creek chub, longnose sucker, and white sucker. All other non-game fish species (not listed above) must be released immediately at the collection site or killed prior to transporting away from the collection site.• The non-game fish species listed above may be used as live fish bait only in the following waters:▪ Bighorn Lake and Afterbay Reservoir▪ Bighorn River—Afterbay Dam to the cable 600 feet downstream, anddownstream from the Bighorn FAS▪ Clarks Fork Yellowstone River and tributaries, except the Rock Creek drainage—downstream from the bridge at Bridger Marias River and tributaries downstream from I-15 Missouri River downstream from Morony DamMuddy Creek Drainage near Vaughn, including all streams and drainage canals▪ Teton River and tributaries downstream from I-15▪ Tiber Reservoir (Lake Elwell), Toole and Liberty counties ▪Yellowstone River and all streams and ditches in the drainagedownstream from the mouth of the Clarks Fork (except the section of the Bighorn River between the cable 600 feet downstream from Afterbay Dam and the Bighorn FAS).Bait restrictions in Eurasian watermilfoil contaminated areasEurasian watermilfoil is an invasive aquatic plant that has become established in some Montana waters. This plant is easily spread from one body of water to another primarily by people transporting plant fragments. Anglers shall inspect all bait buckets, live wells, anchors and gear to ensure that NO PLANT FRAGMENTS are present when leaving a body of water. It takes only a small fragment of Eurasian watermilfoil to start a new plant and infest a body of water.Areas within the Central Fishing District that have been identified as contaminated with Eurasian watermilfoil are:• Jefferson River• Lower Madison River north of I-90•Missouri River from the confluence of the three forks to the headwatersof Canyon Ferry Reservoir• Nilan Reservoir• Toston Reservoir (small Missouri River impoundment above Toston Dam)Additional bait restrictions within the contaminated areas are:• The collection of bait animals, including commercial seining is not permitted.•Transport of live aquatic bait animals to and from these contaminated areas is allowed only in clean water.

MT Central District Bow and Arrow

Waters open to angling are open to taking non-game fish with bow and arrow unless otherwise noted in the exceptions to the standard regulations.

MT Central District Hook and Line on Rivers and Streams

1 line with 2 hooks per line, with or without a rod. The rod or line must be attended and in the angler's immediate control.

MT Central District Hook and Line on Lakes and Reservoirs

2 lines with 2 hooks per line. All lines must be attended and in the angler's immediate control.

MT Central District Ice Fishing

2 lines with 2 hooks per line through the ice on lakes, reservoirs, or ponds open to fishing. When a line is used through the ice, the angler need not be in immediate control, but must be in the vicinity and in visual contact with the line.