Time to apply for Upper Missouri paddlefish tags

Fish, Wildlife & Parks fisheries technician Roy Molstad releases a paddlefish during the 2011 fishing season below Intake Dam on the Yellowstone River. 

BRETT FRENCH, Gazette file photo

Paddlefish anglers planning to harvest a fish in the Upper Missouri River (From Fort Peck Dam to Fort Benton) need to apply for an Upper Missouri River paddlefish tag by 5 p.m. Thursday, March 23. (The 2023 fishing regulations have the incorrect date of March 25).

For 2023, 1,000 tags are available. A 2023 fishing license is necessary before applying, and applications can be submitted online at fwp.mt.gov or at an FWP office. Anglers have the option to apply individually or as a party (up to five people), and have the option to purchase a bonus point at the time of application. There is not an e-tag available for this license, so it cannot be used with the myFWP phone app.

Successful applicants may harvest a fish anytime during the season, from May 1 through June 15. Those anglers not successful in drawing a harvest tag will be issued a “snag and release”

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