Although bull trout are particularly sensitive to many threats, whirling disease 

 appears to he less of a concern for bull trout than for other salmonids. Compared with 

 WSCT, rainbow trout and brook trout, bull trout exhibit a greater physiological resistance 

 to whirling disease (Vincent 2001). In 2002 as whirling disease infection rates continued 

 to escalate, we expanded whirling disease monitoring to the bull trout spawning or 

 rearing areas of Cottonwood Creek, Monture Creek and the North Fork. Sentinel fish 

 exposures indicate that whirling disease is not present at these locations, although the 

 disease is present at moderate levels in lower reaches of these streams (Results Part IV). 



Based on fisheries management-related risk factors for bull trout recovery, we 

 recently identified hull trout recovery - recreational conflict areas (Pierce et al. 2001). 

 These conflict areas refer to biologically critical sites (key spawning, rearing and staging 

 areas, important migration corridors and areas of thermal refugia) and overlap with 

 recreational developments, increased angler pressure and illegal bull trout harvest 

 problems (Figure 5). 



In 2003. FWP adopted 

 artificial lure only gear 

 restrictions for the mouths of 

 the North Fork of the 

 Blackfoot River and Monture 

 Creek to reduce angling 

 pressure and angling mortality 

 on bull tout. Both locations 

 (junctions of major spawning 

 streams with the Blackfoot 

 River) receive concentrated 

 bull trout use and very high 

 angling pressure (Appendix 

 K). The confluence of the 

 North Fork is also the site of a 

 FWP Fishing Access Site (FAS), and the Monture Creek confluence is a high use access 

 site, currently being considered for FAS purchase. Recreational conflict concerns for bull 

 trout further relate to: 1) large increases in angling pressure in critical recovery areas 

 (Angler pressure estimates 1 989-200 1 ); 2) the documented inability of most anglers to 

 identify bull trout (Schmetterling and Long 1999); 3) continued illegal harvest of bull 

 trout (Derek Schott, FWP warden personal communication) and 4) expanded recreational 

 developments in critical recovery areas. Recent declines in adult bull trout numbers 

 compound these concerns. Without a more programmatic and conservation-based 

 management philosophy, these pressures will likely either slow recovery or lead to 

 additional angling restrictions in areas of conflict. 



> Public access sites 



Figure 5. Bull trout recovery/recreational conflict areas. 



Westslope Cutthroat Trout Recovery 



Westslope cutthroat trout, a species of special concern in Montana, have declined 

 over much of their historic range within the last century. Declines are most pronounced 

 mainly east of the Continental Divide (Shepard et al. 2003). Reasons for this decline 

 include habitat loss and degradation, genetic introgression with introduced rainbow trout 



