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How Drought Is Measured in Montana, and Why It Triggers Fishing Restrictions

Low streamflows and warm water can lead to 'hoot owl' fishing limits. Here is how drought is tracked and what those rules mean.

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Madison River (looking downstream) Locality: view from atop the Madison Landslide, southeastern Madison County, southwestern Montana, USA
Photo: James St. John via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Image cropped.

Drought shapes Montana’s ranching, farming, fire danger and fishing, so several agencies track it closely.

How drought is measured

  • U.S. Drought Monitor: a weekly national map produced by federal and university partners. It classifies areas from abnormally dry (D0) to exceptional drought (D4).
  • Snowpack and streamflow: the NRCS Snow Survey and USGS stream gauges measure the water supply that Montana rivers depend on.
  • Montana Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee: state agencies review conditions and coordinate responses.

Hoot-owl restrictions

When rivers run low and warm, trout are stressed and more likely to die after being caught and released. Montana FWP can impose “hoot owl” restrictions, which close fishing on affected stretches from early afternoon until midnight. Rules are triggered by water-temperature and flow thresholds, and full closures are possible.

Check before you go

FWP posts current fishing restrictions and closures online.

For more background, see our explainers on what wildfire evacuation levels mean, Montana agriculture by the numbers, and staying safe in grizzly country. Find more stories in our News section.

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