Twenty species are found in the mid section to the Bighorn, and in 

 the lower river, a total of 46 species in 12 families are present. 

 The lower-river sport fishery ir provided by spawning paddlefish, 

 walleye, burbot, sauger, shovelnose sturgeon, northern pike, 

 smallmouth bass, and channel catfish. The angler has several 

 methods for harvesting this array of ' species, including set lines, 

 hoop nets and use of live bait. With 15-inch sauger common, 

 burbot up to 10 pounds, channel cats providing 25 percent of the 

 catch, and a snag fishery for paddlefish, the angler can never 

 complain about a lack of variety. 



A total of 1,448 stream miles in 114 reaches were assessed for 

 their fishery value in the lower Yellowstone River drainage 

 (Tables 59 and 60). In the habitat and species category, three 

 reaches of the Yellowstone main stem received a Class I. The 214 

 miles of the Yellowstone main stem from Forsyth to the state line 

 provide substantial habitat for paddlefish and pallid sturgeon, 

 and limited-to-moderate habitat for two minnow species of special 

 concern, the pearl dace and the sturgeon chub. 



Local importance and high species diversity played major roles 

 in determining reaches receiving a Class II habitat and species 

 value. Seventeen reaches in 551 miles received a Class II, 

 including the major tributaries to the lower river, the Powder 

 River, O'Fallon Creek and most of the Tongue River. Six of the 

 Class II reaches received this rating as a result of their local 

 importance. The presence of two Class B species of special 

 concern, the sturgeon chub and the pearl dace, as well as 

 paddlefish using the lower Tongue, contributed to the Class II 

 ratings. The Tongue and Powder also provide spawning habitat to 

 Yellowstone sauger, catfish and shovelnose sturgeon, as well as a 

 good resident fishery for smallmouth bass. 



Two reaches received a Class I in the sport fishery value, the 

 Yellowstone main stem from the Powder River to the state line, 

 totaling 128 miles in length. The lower river was tied with the 

 upper river for the largest number of Class I sport fishery miles 

 in the state. Two additional reaches of the Yellowstone main 

 stem, from the Bighorn to the Powder, contributed 141 miles of 

 Class II sport fisheries. A lower aesthetics rating and fishing 

 pressure, and a lack of abundant paddlefish contributed to the 

 Class II ratings. 



The presence of spawning paddlefish in the Yellowstone 

 contributed to the Class I sport fishery from the Powder River to 

 the state line. A diversion dam at Intake serves as a partial 

 barrier to the fish, concentrating them below the dam. Although 

 these Garrison Reservoir residents have been using the Yellowstone 

 and Missouri River below Fort Peck since the early 1900s, a snag 

 fishery did not develop until the 1960s. Since 1972, a creel 

 census has been conducted at Intake, where annual harvest has been 

 estimated at 2,000 to 5,000 paddlefish. Because considerable 

 "high-grading" (keeping a fish until a bigger one is caught and 



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