Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will proceed with removing hybrid and rainbow trout from channels of the North Fork Flathead River, the agency announced Tuesday.
FWP completed an environmental assessment for the Flathead River Hybrid Trout Suppression Project and collected public comment for 30 days. FWP will continue to remove rainbow and hybrid trout from the five specified streams in the upper mainstem and North Fork Flathead River to reduce the threat of hybridization with westslope cutthroat trout.
The project proposal was to continue removing hybrid and rainbow trout from the mouths and channels of Abbot, Sekokini, Rabe, Ivy, and Third Creeks in the mainstem and the North Fork. Trapping and electrofishing will be used to catch fish during spawning season in April and May and move them to community fishing ponds.FWP will also electrofish between July and September to remove hybrid and rainbow trout offspring.
The goal of the proposed suppression effort is to minimize the loss of westslope cutthroat trout populations in the Flathead River system, the agency said.
No changes were made to the draft EA and the draft together with the decision notice will become the final document.