FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE— Aug. 28, 2026
Fishing restrictions to be lifted on the Smith and Sun Rivers
GREAT FALLS – In response to moderating temperatures, hoot-owl fishing restrictions will be lifted on the Smith and Sun Rivers in FWP Region 4, effective on Saturday, Aug. 29. Water temperatures have met the criteria to change fishing restrictions and FWP expects the temperatures to remain cool.
The restrictions had been in effect for the rivers due to warm water temperatures. Hoot-owl restrictions prohibit fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight each day. They are designed to protect fish that become more susceptible to disease and mortality when low flows and high water temperatures combine with other stressors, including catch-and-release fishing.
Anglers can reduce stress on fish at all times of the year by getting fish to the net or in hand quickly, keeping them in the water, and reviving them prior to releasing them back into the river.
Along with monitoring stream temperatures, FWP also monitors stream flows, and in some streams, holds instream flow water rights. FWP’s water program can issue a call on junior water users, when appropriate, to contribute to stream flows through the late summer and early fall. For more information on FWP water rights, click here.
For a list of current drought-related fishing restrictions and closures, click here.
-FWP-
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