Fish crews are gearing up for their spring “science tour,” floating down the Ruby, Gallatin, East Gallatin, lower Madison, Beaverhead, Big Hole, and Yellowstone rivers over the next several weeks, according to FWP. Using electrofishing gear, they’ll be doing their yearly check-in on local trout — collecting the data that helps track fish numbers, health, and overall river trends.
They’ll also keep tagging trout in the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Ruby, and Madison. If you reel in a tagged fish, you’re basically part of the research team. Just clip the tag, report it online, and you’re helping biologists (and Montana State University) get a clearer picture of trout declines in southwest Montana.
Bonus: blue tags enter you into prize drawings, and yellow or green tags can mean cash in your pocket. Not a bad payday for a good deed and a day on the river.
Feature photo via FWP
