MONTANA STATE FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT 



Page Nineteen 



ited areas for the development of the 

 smaller fish, larger fingerlings and 

 yearlings are being planted. It is 

 planned to establish a feeding station 

 on this stream next spring in hopes of 

 being able to maintain good fishing. 



The Loch Leven trout have made a 

 favorable showing in the Yellowstone 

 river, from the few small plantings that 

 have been made in years past and at 

 the request of the fishermen of that 

 region substantial plantings of this 

 species will be made in the future. 



The Cooke City-Red Lodge road is 

 opening an extensive fishing area which 

 will be accessible particularly to the 

 fishermen of the southeastern section. 

 The high altitude and the waters of a 

 low temperature requires the planting 

 of fall spawning species for the best 

 results. Several plants of Eastern 

 Brook were made in this area last 

 spring and eggs are now being incu- 

 bated at Emigrant and Big Timber for 

 the purpose of making substantial 

 plantings again next spring. 



A cooperative agreement was made 

 this year with the Wyoming depart- 

 ment on stocking of the upper Tongue 

 river. This stream heads in Wyoming 

 and runs through Montana to the Yel- 

 lowstone river at Miles City, and is 

 the only possibility for development of 

 trout fishing to any extent in the far 

 eastern section. The upper reaches of 

 the stream in Wyoming are ideally 

 suited for Loch Leven and it is the 

 belief that improving the fishing in 

 the upper portion of the stream will 

 eventually provide fishing in the Mon- 

 tana portion between Ashton and the 

 state line. This stream is of the same 

 character as the Yellowstone and Mis- 

 souri, in that the upper reaches are 

 trout waters and the lower reaches, be- 

 cause of the higher temperature in the 

 summer months and the rily condition, 

 are more favorable to warm water fish. 

 It is planned to plant the pike in the 

 Tongue river below Ashton and in the 

 Yellowstone below Billings. 



The bass rescue work at Somers is 

 of great value to fishermen of the state 

 because of the nominal cost at which 

 these fish, which would otherwise be 



lost, are rescued and distributed over 

 the northern and western part of the 

 state where bass fishing is being de- 

 veloped in waters not ideally suited for 

 trout. This work is dependent largely 

 upon high water during spring months 

 at which time the adult bass seek the 

 spawning grounds in the flooded areas 

 and return to the lake or river as the 

 water recedes, leaving the fry. 



The last two years has seen a marked 

 improvement in the trout fishing in 

 Flathead lake, due largely to the opera- 

 tion of the hatchery at Station Creek 

 on the east shore. A systematic trout 

 planting program is being developed for 

 the territory served by the Poison and 

 Somers hatcheries with a view to utiliz- 

 ing to the fullest extent, the numerous 

 lakes and streams in that section 

 which are favorable to trout propaga- 

 tion. 



The extreme northwestern part of 

 the state is being served by the Libby 

 hatchery and while this station has 

 been in operation in the present loca- 

 tion only two years it has already pro- 

 duced gratifying results. 



An attempt will be made next year 

 to develop trout fishing in the chain 

 of Clearwater lakes near Missoula. If 

 successful in this attempt it will fill 

 a long-felt need. No concerted effort 

 has ever been made to build up the 

 trout fishing in this chain of lakes 

 largely on account of the large number 

 of suckers and squaw fish present. By 

 establishing a feeding station on one 

 of the tributary streams, making pos- 

 sible the planting of larger trout and 

 with the bass which have been planted 

 in these waters for the last four years 

 making serious inroads on suckers and 

 squaw fish, it is the belief that trout 

 planting will now net desired results. 

 It has been observed that the trout 

 and the bass do not occupy the same 

 areas in these waters. 



It is necessary to establish a new 

 station in the Missoula territory to 

 replace the hatchery which was aband- 

 oned in 1931 because of water short- 

 age. A site has been selected 35 miles 

 north of Missoula which has every in- 

 dication of meeting the requirements 



Game Fish Eggs Collected at Spawning Stations 

 in 1931-1932 



Spawning Station 



Georgetown Lake 

 Lake Francis 

 Lake Ronan 

 Conley's Lake 



Alvord and Kilbrennan lakes 

 (Cooperative; 



1931 



Natives Rainbow 



30,096,294 218.430 



226.400 



3.577.244 



Spawning Station 

 Georgetown Lake 



Lake Francis 



Lake Ronan 



Upper Ashley Lali. 

 Middle Ashley Lak.- 



Rogers Lake 



Dog Lake (cooperative) 



Conley's Lake 



Alvord and Kilbrennan Lakes 



(Cooperative) 



36.409,382 



TOTAL 



31,937,173 



226,400 



3.577.244 



240,456 



785,356 



.322 36,706.629 



Brook TOTAL 



199,282 38,922.530 



457.350 



1,841,252 



295.542 



929,214 



2,826,696 



76,435 



400,554 400,554 



835,000 835,000 



1.434,836 46.584.573 



of present day fish culture. This site 

 is on Highway No. 93, ideally located 

 with respect to the distribution area, 

 has an abundance of water and of a 

 quality shown by experiments to be ex- 

 cellent for trout culture. No steps 

 have yet been taken toward construc- 

 tion, but it is planned as soon as con- 

 ditions warrant. This station will serve 

 the Couer d'Alene, Clark's Fork and 

 Mission Range territory, thereby re- 

 lieving the Daly hatchery at Hamilton 

 and the Libby hatchery. The highway 

 west of Missoula will tend to open a 

 large territory to fishermen from west- 

 ern Montana, Idaho and Washington 

 and it will require constant effort un- 

 der the best of conditions to meet the 

 demand. 



The Big Hole river is coming rap- 

 idly to the front as Rainbow fishing 

 water and with the assistance of the 

 Butte Anglers Club through activities 

 at the Maiden Rock Rearing ponds, it 

 is a certainty that the good fishing 

 will be maintained. Large plants of 

 Natives have been made in the tribu- 

 tary streams of the upper Big Hole for 

 the last six years with the expectation 

 they would drop down into the larger 

 waters upon reaching maturity, but ap- 

 parently they prefer the smaller creeks 

 of a lower water temperature as sev- 

 eral limit catches have been made the 

 last season in these tributaries with 

 but comparatively few Natives taken 

 from the main stream. We are now 

 making plans to nlant Rainbow in the 

 main stream and continue with the 

 Native planting in the tributaries and 

 the development of this program should 

 meet with the approval of the most 

 meticulous angler. 



Prior to 1931. little had been done 

 toward restocking the waters of Heb- 

 gen lake, due largelv to the fact that 

 we handled only a limited number of 

 Loch Leven and a concerted effort was 

 being made to build up the fishing in 

 the Missouri river between Helena and 

 Oreat Falls with this specie. In 1930 

 the Hebgen lake territorv was badlv 

 in need of restocking and the follow- 

 ing spring some 3n0,nnn Loch Leven 

 finsrerlings were planted in favorable 

 areas. 



In 1932. 1.004,000 Loch Leven were 

 nlanted in this area and it is planned 

 to continue with this program until 

 desired results are obtained. It is also 

 Planned to establish a Loch Leven 

 snawnine station at that noint as soon 

 ns conditions warrant. These waters 

 are fished heavily by Butte and Ana- 

 conda fishermen. Yellowstone Park vis- 

 itors and residents of Td.nbo and Utah. 



An outstanding accomplishment dur- 

 ing this biennium was the agreement 

 reached by the U. S. Bureau of Fish- 

 eries and the Fisheries Division rela- 

 tive to the activities of the bureau in 

 this state. Through a general misun- 

 derstanding, the matter has been one 

 of controversy for some years. Under 

 the new agreement the bureau, through 

 activities on the Madison, will deliver 

 to the state 2.000,000 Loch Leven ages 

 which are to he considered the state's 

 share of the benefits accruing to the 

 bureau from this field. Any additional 

 Loch Leven that are delivered to the 

 state from this field are to be on an 

 exchange basis for Natives. Effective 

 .Tan. 1st. the bureau is to assume all 



