(n=l), Belmont Creek (n=l), the North Fork (n=l), while Monture Creek (n=9) and its 

 largest tributary Dunham Creek (n=2) supported by far the highest proportion of RBT 

 spawners (1 1 total RBT or 73%). 



RBT entered tributaries from late March through early May (mean date: April 17). 

 Average upstream tributary movement was 4.3 miles for RBT (median 4.0; range 0.2- 

 12.3). Of the nine RBT that entered Monture Creek, two migrated 1 1 .2 miles upstream to 

 ascend the lower 1 . 1 miles of Dunham Creek - the primary tributary to Monture Creek. 

 Fish entered Monture Creek at temperatures of 43 - 48 "F (Figure 52), and moved an 

 average of 5.6 (median 4.4; range 0.2-12.2) miles upstream to spawn. 



Based on small sample sizes (n=7), spawning in 2004 began and ended earlier in 

 2004 compared with 2005. Spawning began on March 30'*' and ended on April 28'*' in 

 2004; whereas spawning extended from April 25''' to May 14''' in 2005. The combined 

 median date of spawning (both years) was April 26"^. Spawning occurred at a mean 

 water temperature of 47 °F (range 43-49 "F). Upon their exit of spawning streams, 47 % 

 (n= 7) of migratory RBT returned to their original Blackfoot River capture locations an 

 average of 47 days after migrations began. 



Except for two migratory RBT that moved downstream of Milltown dam, the 

 remaining eight (of ten) 2005 spawning RBT returned to or near original capture sites by 

 late May. Three returned to original capture locations and the remaining five returned to 

 within (a mean of) 0.9 miles (range 0.2-5.7 miles) of their original capture sites. 



A majority of non-spawning RBT (n=9) - those that did not ascend a spawning 

 tributary, also exhibited movements during the spawning period. Similar to spawning 

 RBT, non-spawning RBT in 2005 (n=8) began movements at 43 °F on April H"" (and 

 extended to May 21*'), and average distance of 9.6 rm (median 6.4; range 1.6-37.3). One 

 RBT, captured at rm 23.6, moved upriver ~18 miles to the mouth of Cottonwood Creek 

 before returning to its original capture location. Only one of seven RBT recorded 

 mainstem movement in 2004, beginning 41° F on March 13"". After these mainstem 

 movements, eight of nine non-spawning RBT returned to within (a mean of) 3.1 rm 

 (range 0-14. Irm) of their original capture locations. Following these spring (March- 

 May) movements, non-spawning fish exhibited very little additional movement through 

 December. 



Three of 20 (15%) RBT telemetered in 2005 moved downstream of Milltown 

 Dam - a run-of-the-river dam between May and July. One migratory RBT from the 

 upper reach, after spawning in Monture Creek, moved downriver 46 miles to a location 

 downstream of Milltown Dam. A second spawning RBT, a fish that ascended Gold Creek 

 in April moved downstream to river mile 1.8. The radio of this fish was later found in a 

 heron rookery adjacent to the Clark Fork River ~20 river miles downstream of Milltown 

 Dam. The third fish, a non-spawning RBT moved 2.4 miles up the Blackfoot River to 

 near the mouth of Bear Creek in early May and then moved 12.4 miles to a location 

 downstream of Milltown dam. 



Due to a short radio-life from the seven 2004 RBT, it was not possible to assess 

 mortality or other information beyond the immediate spawning period. Suspected 

 mortality sources for the twenty 2005 RBT included: 1 bald eagle kill, one heron kill, one 

 suspected poaching and two unknowns. We observed no mortality directly attributed to 

 spawning activities. 



Discussion 



