High summer has arrived in the mountain west, and with it comes the perennial appearance of Hoot Owl regulations on the more popular rivers as day-time stream temperatures creep into dangerous territories for trout mortality.
Hoot owl regulations make it illegal to fish between the hours of 2 PM and midnight daily, in order to ensure trout are safe during the hottest hours of the day. And as of July 14, 2022, those regulations are now in place for the Lower Madison, Smith, and Sun Rivers in Montana, per the Montana FWP. You can learn more about the regs at the links below.
See Madison River regulations here, from Montana FWP.
See Smith and Sun River regulations here, from Montana FWP.
