Montana Fish Report

Streams and rivers are now closed to trout fishing until May 22, 2018.

Steelhead are slowly moving their way upriver from the head of tide on the Coos Basin rivers. With many of the rivers running low and clear anglers may need to use smaller baits and lures. Some anglers are still having good luck catching winter steelhead near the head of tide on the Millicoma and South Fork Coos rivers. Anglers fishing the South Fork Coos River above Dellwood will need a permit from Weyerhaeuser, which allows the angler to access up to the Seven Mile Bridge. Permits can be obtained at Weyerhaeuser’s Coos Bay office. In the Coos Basin, 1 additional hatchery steelhead may be retained per day for a total aggregate of 3 adult fish harvested daily.

Recreational fishing for bottomfish is opened on Jan. 1 in the ocean along with bays and estuaries. The daily bag limit will be 5 marine fish plus 2 lingcod. There will be no retention of cabezon until July 1. Anglers have reported catching rockfish near the north jetty of Coos Bay.

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