As the weather begins to improve, more folks will want to visit Montana’s wonderful Fishing Access’s. These public places are no longer Free for All.
“A valid Conservation License is required of every person aged 12 and older using a Fishing Access site for any reason. Additional fees may be charged for camping, where overnight camping is allowed, and for commercial and group uses of the FAS.”
Licenses can be acquired online. These licenses are required of all fishermen and hunters as well. Here are the costs.
Resident (age 12-16) $4
Resident (age 16-17. 62 and older) $4
Resident Disabled (18-61) $8
Resident (18-61) $8
Non-Resident (12-15) $10
Non-Resident (16 and older) $10
These fees are a small expense for what has been a Free offering in the past. Almost all money needed to protect, manage, maintain, improve, and purchase new access site comes from licensed Sportsmen. The Public has always had year around access at no cost.
Several access sites get used to the extreme. Tubers, and floaters, use the Blacks Ford site on the lower Madison River beyond excess. Hundreds of tubers on a summer day use the facility to enjoy the cool swimming. They float from Warm Springs to Blacks Ford in regatta. This means full vault toilets, vandalism, trash, and crowded areas no longer providing fishermen access. It is not fair for just one section of the public to finance recreation for all.
Other sites like Wolf Creek, Yellowstone River sites near Billings, and seasonal sites with heavy use need additional funding to keep them healthy, clean, and opened.
Thanks to all that support and enjoy these wonderful playgrounds of Montana.
Play Responsibly!
Montana Grant
