Both the yellow tag paddlefish season on the lower Yellowstone River and the green tag paddlefish season on the Missouri River downstream of Fort Peck Dam open May 15. For complete details on these seasons, anglers should refer to the paddlefish regulations or visit FWP's paddlefish page.
Reminders for yellow tag season:
- Paddlefishing is limited to two sections of the Yellowstone River: 1) from the upstream edge of the Tongue River confluence to the Sullivan Creek confluence (1/2 mile downstream of Calypso Bridge); and 2) from Glendive Black Bridge to the North Dakota line.
- The Powder and Tongue rivers are excluded, along with the Missouri River downstream of Fort Peck Dam (now green tag area), and the Intake bypass channel.
- Catch-and-release is expanded to the two Yellowstone sections on designated days, but anglers must have an unused harvest tag for the current season to participate.
- Paddlefish snagging is prohibited within the 2-mile intake bypass channel.
- Paddlefish can be snagged from a boat only when the boat is beached on shore or on an exposed island, but once a paddlefish is snagged, the boat can follow the fish to land it.
- The season is shortened to May 15-June15.
Reminders for green tag season:
- Catch-and-release is not permitted.
- Tag is not valid on the Fort Peck Reservation.
- Snagging in the Milk River is not permitted.
- The season is shortened to May 15-June15.
Paddlefish season on the Upper Missouri River, from Fort Peck Dam to Fort Benton (white tag), opened May 1 and will close June 15. Archery season for the Fort Peck Dredge Cuts (blue tag) will open July 1 and close Aug. 15.