Montana Fish Report

Streams and rivers are now closed to trout fishing until next spring.

Chinook salmon fishing is still open in the Coos Basin although majority of the fish have move up river to spawn. There is not a wild coho season inside Coos Bay this year so all wild coho must be released but anglers may keep any adipose fin-clipped hatchery coho.

Recreational fishing for bottomfish is closed because the quotas for several species have been reached. This includes the ocean along with bays and estuaries. On Oct. 1, recreational bottomfishing will reopen outside 40 fathoms but for anglers using “longleader” gear only. The daily bag limit for the long-leader fishery has been increased to 10 marine fish but retention of black rockfish, cabezon, lingcod, and other nearshore rockfish (blue, deacon, china, copper, and quillback rockfishes) are not allowed at any depth for the remainder of the 2017 season. Find more information about a longleader setup here.

Crabbing and clamming updates can now be found in the Crabbing and Clamming section of the Recreation Report.