Why the Closure?
The entire length of the Beaverhead River, with the exception of the stretch between Pipe Organ Bridge and Barretts, closes this Saturday the 30th to all fishing. We understand that low population numbers from Barrett's Diversion downstream to the mouth are driving this closure just ahead of the brown trout spawn, but the fish numbers on the upper river from Clark Canyon Dam downstream to Pipe Organ Bridge are right in the middle of normal. There are better than average flows from Clark Canyon Dam and the brown trout don't spawn there until November. Please call the MDFWP Region 3 headquarters, 406-577-7900, to voice your opinion. We are once again dumbfounded at the FWP's series of knee jerk reactions that don't even coincide with their own criteria for the closure of the upper river. We hope that they will eventually come to the realization that these population trends are driven by water, or lack there of, and direct their efforts towards maintaining instream flows rather than flexing their muscle with the angling community.