CREEL CENSUS AND EXPEIElITURE STUDY, NORTH FORK SUK RIYER, MOOTANA, 1951 



A creel census was conducted on the North Fork Sun River and several 

 associated bodies of water in Montana during 1951. This study was part 

 of a general program inaugurated by the Office of Missouri River Basin 

 Studies, Fish and Wildlife Service, to provide information concerning fish- 

 ing pressure, yield, and comparative vrorth of various types of fisheries 

 in the Missouri River Basin, 



The present paper is concerned with fisherman-expenditures, fisherman- 

 use, and yield of the fisheries involved, although some data on other 

 aspects of the fishery were obtained. 



The cooperation of the U, S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U, S. 

 Geological Survey, the U. S. Forest Service, the Montana Fish and Game 

 Department, and the Greenfields Irrigation District in various phases of 

 the work is appreciated, 



DESCRIPTION 



ITaters included in this study were (1) the North and South Forks of 

 the North Fork Sun River (which unite at the head of Gibson Reservoir), 

 (2) the North Fork Sun River between Gibson Dam and Diversion Reservoir, 

 and between Diversion Dam and the confluence of the river with the outlet 

 canal from Willow Creek Reservoir, (3) Gibson Reservoir, (4) Diversion 

 Reservoir, (5) Pishkun Canal, (6) Tunnel Lake, (7) Pishkun Reservoir, 

 (8) Split Rock Lakes, (9) Willow Creek Reservoir, (lO) Beaver Creek, and 

 (11) Wood Lake (see map), 



Gibson, Diversion, Pishkun, and Willow Creek Reservoirs and Pishkun 

 Canal were constructed by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation betiveen 1906 

 and 1911, and are nov/ jointly owned by the Bureau of Reclamation and the 

 Greenfields Irrigation District, a local water-users association. 



The North Fork Sun River is on the eastern slope of the Rocky 

 Mo\mt9.ins in Lev;is and Clark County and Teton County, Mont, The two main 

 tributaries of the North Fork Sun River, the North and South Forks, flow 

 through moxmtain valleys which more or less parallel the Continental 

 Divide (fig. l). From the Junction of these main tributaries at the head 

 of Gibson Reservoir, the North Fork Sun River flows easterly for 7 miles 

 through the reservoir, thence 4 miles through a steep, narrow canyon, and 

 then out onto the plains for about 25 miles, where it Joins with the South 

 Fork Sun River to form the Sun River, Just below the tovm of Augusta, 



