Region 7 Biologist Reports

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Better flows than have been seen in recent years set the stage for a banner paddlefish season on the lower Yellowstone River this past summer. An early spring-melt combined with timely rain events put the hydrograph into a climb which triggered the migratory tendencies in the paddlefish found in North Dakota’s Sakakawea reservoir.

The opening day of the 2005 paddlefish season brought few people but many fish. The fish remained at the Intake site and the people responded quickly. The first week of the season saw anglers arriving at Intake in droves. Lots of anglers combined with lots of paddlefish equated to large harvests reaching over 200 fish on the first Saturday of the season. The 1,000 fish target was reached within a few days and the season was closed nine days after it opened.

Paddlefish angling continued to be highly successful for those who were interested in pursuing this ancient fish of the Yellowstone but now catch and release rules were in effect. Creel results from the 2005 season indicated that anglers were very satisfied with the opportunity to catch and release many of these fish once the harvest season was closed.

Large numbers of paddlefish remained at the Intake site until the catch and release portion of the season ended on June 30, 2005. Of interest to anglers and FWP biologists were the large numbers of young male paddlefish found in the harvest and in the caught and released fish. Population work with this fish in years past indicated that there was a potentially strong year-class of fish recruiting to the population as indicated by high numbers of young of the year fish sampled in 1995. Since male paddlefish take 8-10 years to mature and enter the spawning run, the slug of young males found at Intake this past summer was a pleasant reassurance that the paddlefish population was in good condition.

Paddlefish spawning success is attributed to adequate nursery habitats found in the upper end of Lake Sakakawea. During high reservoir years such as 1995, abundant shallow water flats are available to young paddlefish that utilize the turbid waters for cover and feed on zooplankton produced in these types of waters. As the Missouri River Reservoir elevations have declined over the past few years, so has the spawning success and recruitment of Yellowstone River paddlefish. This raises the questions as to the continued health of the paddlefish population. The pulse of young males may be absent in years to come, a reflection of habitat conditions from 10 years earlier.

The lower Yellowstone River continues to provide exceptional angling for a variety of fish species. From large, hard fighting catfish to the always eager goldeye, this isolated piece of water continues to surprise and thrill anglers.

Catfish can be found throughout the lower Yellowstone system and smallmouth bass are becoming abundant, especially at tributary mouths. Both fish provide a unique angling experience and make for great table fare.

Just can’t put away the fly rod and take up the bait rod again? Why not set the kids up with a glob of night-crawler and get them on a few cats while you slide off to the side riffles and hook a few goldeye on dry flies. The best place in the state to teach a youngster to fly fish is the lower Yellowstone River. Fish a shallow riffle where the current is slow. Float a large, easy to see dry fly and the goldeye will keep you busy.

Sauger fishing on the Yellowstone River continues to provide a good angling opportunity with good numbers of this species found below the Intake Diversion. Fewer sauger are found upstream in the Glendive to Forsyth reach but populations remain constant.

Fishing for crappie was reportedly slow this year. The crappie population remains strong but the dominant 8-10 inch age class found in recent years is reaching senescence and is being replaced with a strong year-class of 6-7 inch fish. This cohort will soon attain the quality size sought by anglers. Cool spring weather kept the usual spring bite at a low this past summer. Anglers with light equipment and some patience were able to produce limits of this abundant and tasty fish.

Of significance are the large numbers of bullhead catfish found in this water. During the dam repair and subsequent drawdown of 1997-1999, bullhead catfish were very successful in reproducing and recruiting to the fishery. These fish are now in the 1-2 pound range and make for a great evening along the shore with a simple hook and worm rig. Bullhead catfish produce a great fillet and are exceptional eating.

Reservoir elevations and the duration of high water in the system have a large impact on the spawning and recruitment success of many species in the Tongue River Reservoir. In recent years these conditions have been very favorable for northern pike. The fishery contains at least two strong year classes of the fish, some of which are reaching lengths of 30 inches. These fish put up a good fight and are quite a surprise to anglers focused on catching crappie.

Other fish in the reservoir that are doing well include smallmouth bass and channel catfish. Walleye numbers have been in decline until this past summer when survey results indicated an increase in this sought-after fish. Continued stocking of fingerling and fry walleye combined with favorable reservoir elevations will hopefully keep this fish on the increase.

Prairie ponds are staging a comeback on the eastern plains of Montana. These simple systems need two ingredients to be successful, fish and water. The spring of 2005 brought timely precipitation events and allowed for the re-charge of many of these small pond systems. Once drained by drought, these systems sometimes take a few years to re-charge ground moisture before the pond will remain full.

Ponds that retained water through the summer of 2005 were stocked with fish and have been extremely productive. Phenomenal growth can be experienced by fish stocked into these highly productive systems.

Continued precipitation events are needed to retain prairie pond fisheries. Those ponds that receive spring rains and maintain full pools should produce good fishing the next season.

The regional fisheries staff monitors approximately 35 of these prairie pond systems each year. Results of these efforts can be found in our annual pond booklet. This booklet is free to the public and can be obtained by contacting the Region 7 office (406) 234-0900. The booklet provides results of the most recent surveys and maps to locate the ponds.