Every year, over 3,000 anglers migrate to the banks of the Missouri River above Fort Pack Reservoir to snag for paddlefish during their spawning run. The overall goal of paddlefish management in Montana is to establish a basic understanding of the needs and dynamics of the population. Using this information the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks will be able to protect critical spawning areas and other habitat, design fishing regulations to prevent over harvest, and prevent damage to the population from illegal commercial activities. For over 20 years the DFW&P has monitored the angler harvest of paddlefish at the Intake Fishing Access Site. Information collected has included average size of males and females, fish age, number of snaggers, angler success rate, number of fish caught and percentage of the adult population caught by snaggers.

(adapted from MTFWP website)