FISHERIES 



Montana is a trout state — some of the finest 

 trout waters in the country lie within her 

 borders. However, the popular concept that 

 there are twenty to thirty thousand miles of 

 "well stocked streams" in Montana is danger- 

 ously misleading in that it has given rise to 

 a false sense of security and has fostered pub- 

 lic complacency in conservation of stream 

 fisheries. A stream classification and appraisal 

 prepared during the biennium clearly em- 

 phasizes that Montana fishing streams are 

 limited in both quantity and quality. 



The Montana Stream Fishery Classification 

 was prepared by a committee of representa- 

 tives from the U. S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries 

 and Wildlife, Montana State College, and the 

 Montana Fish and Game Department. It pre- 

 sents an inventory and appraisal of Montana's 

 fishing streams. Equally important, it can 

 serve as a guide to all other water-use in- 

 terests. 



A total of 436 streams or parts of streams, 

 totaling 8,923 stream miles were placed in 

 four classifications. These classes were de- 

 fined as: 



1. Streams of national as well as state- 

 wide value; 



2. Streams of state-wide value; 



3. Streams of value to large districts of the 

 state; 



4. Streams of value to smaller districts such 

 as counties. 



All remaining streams including those not yet 

 classified as well as those of restricted local 

 value were placed in class five. Only 410 miles 

 of stream were in class one, and only 1.072 

 miles were in class two. 



Sport fishing is by far the nation's leading 

 outdoor recreation in terms of days and money 

 spent. Some quarter of a million anglers fish 

 in Montana each year. Obviously, the fisheries 

 division faces a tremendous challenge in pro- 

 viding and maintaining the best in recreational 

 fishing. 



GENERAL FISHERIES MANAGEMENT 



General fisheries management covers all 

 aspects of fisheries outside of fish propagation 

 in hatcheries. It is concerned with fish losses, 

 including those caused by the damage or 

 destruction of fish habitat; with the proper 

 use of hatchery fish; with stream and lake 

 improvement and rough fish eradication; with 

 fishermen access; with the creation of new 

 fishing waters, and with investigation of 

 management problems. This is the work of 

 the fishery biologist. Much of it is supported 

 with federal aid funds. Some of the more de- 

 tailed studies are made in cooperation with 

 the Zoology and Entomology Department of 

 Montana State College. 



The following is a summary of work ac- 

 complished during the biennium. 



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