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Bait Change Proposed For Lake

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would adjust the list of waters where commercial bait seining is allowed in Montana.

Three waters are proposed for addition to the approved seining list, and one is proposed for deletion.

The water proposed for deletion is Flat Lake near Fort Peck in the Eastern Fishing District, which doesn't produce suitable numbers of bait fish to make commercial seining a sustainable activity. In addition, Flat Lake water is periodically shared with Fort Peck Reservoir via a culvert, raising the potential of Eurasian water milfoil presence in Flat Lake. Eurasian water milfoil is an aquatic invasive plant that grows quickly to form dense infestations that shade out and replace native plants, negatively affect birds and fish and upon decay reduce oxygen levels in the water.

The three waters proposed for addition to the list are Burnt Lake, Fish Lake and Herrig Creek, all in Flathead County in the Western Fishing District. These are proposed for addition to the list because the bait fish populations are robust and able to sustain commercial harvest.

A commercial seining license is required for persons 15 years of age and older to seine for and transport bait fish for commercial purposes, and for any person who seines for and has in their possession more than 24 dozen nongame bait fish. Public comment will be accepted through Dec.28.

 

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