Reach 5: Belmont Creek to Mouth of Blackfoot River 



Trout YOY were sampled at thirteen locations in reach 5. 

 Rainbow trout YOY were present at all sampling stations, but 

 brown trout YOY were only observed at four stations. Large 

 fluctuations in YOY abundance were observed in this reach, with 

 the highest densities occurring downstream of spav/ning 

 tributaries (Figure 14). 



YOY density of rainbow trout in this reach averaged 0.80/10 

 ft. and brown trout 0.02/10 ft. for the thirteen sections 

 sampled. Rainbow trout YOY abundance in reach 5 was generally 

 lower than densities in reach 4, but higher than those observed 

 in reaches 1 through 3. The densities of rainbow trout YOY were 

 also generally higher in reaches 4 and 5 than densities of 

 rainbow trout in the Bitterroot River near Darby (0.35/10 ft) 

 (Figure 15). The rainbow trout fishery near Darby is generally 

 considered to be a healthy fishery with large numbers of juvenile 

 fish. In contrast, brown trout YOY densities in reach 5 were the 

 lowest observed in the five reaches of the Blackfoot River. 



Significant rainbow trout spawning is known to occur in the 

 in the following tributaries of Reach 1: Belmont, Gold, East and 

 West Twin Creeks, Johnson Gulch, and Heyers Gulch. Abundant YOY 

 at the mouth of Bear Creek may indicate spawning use in that 

 creek. At the mouth of Gold Creek, rainbow trout YOY densities 

 (4.0/10 ft) were the highest observed for all Blackfoot River 

 tributaries sampled. 



No YOY bull or cutthroat trout were observed in Reach 1. 



CREEL CENSUS 



Reach 5: Belmont Creek to Mouth 



We obtained 106 creel census interviews from mid-July to 

 October. Most of the fisherman contacts (95%) were made below 

 Belmont creek. The results, therefore, represent fishing in the 

 lower segment of the Blackfoot river. Anglers resident to 

 Montana comprised 81% of our sample. 



The terminal gear used by anglers sampled included: 

 flyfishing 20%, lures 17%, bait 42%, and combinations 21%. Bait 

 fishing accounted for as much as 63% of the sampled anglers. 

 Although bank anglers dominated (93%) our sample of anglers, the 

 number of float fishermen were probably underestimated due to a 

 lack of sampling during late spring/early summer and low 

 streamflows during 1988 which likely discouraged floating. 



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