Mack Days Announcements

AIS Check Stations
(Locations and Hours)

Ravalli, MT
Hwy 93, next to the highway maintenance shop in Ravalli, MT
Opens: March 12^th Closes: TBA
Hours: March 12 - May 13^th 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday - Friday. After May 13 open 24 hours Monday - Sunday & Holidays
Mandatory Class I Inspection Station—full inspection and decontamination capability.

Thompson Falls, MT
Opens: April 23^th Closes: TBA
Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday - Monday
Mandatory Class I Inspection Station—full inspection and decontamination capability.

Polson, MT
CSKT office at 406 6th Avenue East, Polson (406) 675-2700 ex 7200.
7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday - Thursday
Courtesy Station, inspection and routing as needed.

Kalispell, MT
MFWP Region 1 Office, 490 N Meridian Rd, Kalispell
Opens: February 28^th Closes: TBA
Hours February 28 to April 24: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
Hours beginning April 25^th: Saturday through Sunday & Holidays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Courtesy Station, inspection, decontamination, and routing as needed.




Thank you everyone and best of luck!

Update on Blue Bay

There are no restrictions at Blue Bay. It is open to all anglers

FISH PICKUPS
To save staff time, we will only do fish pick-ups at Big Arm and Polson if we get a call that someone will be there with fish.

Up-To-Date Information on Blue Bay Campground
Visit this page for detailed information about Blue Bay Campground.

PLEASE LOCK UP YOUR VEHICLES WHEN YOU PARK
All anglers should secure their vehicles in the parking lots. Make sure everything is locked up!

PLEASE CAREFULLY IDENTIFY YOUR CATCH!
It is very important to correctly identify each fish you catch-especially the smaller fish. It can be difficult to tell small bull trout from small lake trout. If you are in doubt about the identity of the fish, put it back. We had an unacceptable level of bull trout catch and harvest during the 2011 contests. This undermined our objective to benefit native fish and threatens the future of the contests.

• Bull trout have no black spots on the dorsal fin, and orange spotting on the sides of the fish can be very light and difficult to see.
• Examine the top of the back. Spots on a bull trout will be distinctly rounded and uniform.
• Flatten the tail out wide. Bull trout will have a tail that is squarer than lake trout. Although some smaller bull trout will have a slight V-shape and can be confused with lake trout.
• Please carefully study the fish ID page on this website.

Fish Consumption Guidelines
Fish are part of a healthy diet, but you need to make sure the lake trout you eat are safe. Take a look at the Flathead Lake Lake Trout Consumption Guidelines by clicking on the download button below.

Docks
Note that the docks at KwaTaqNuk, S & K Marina, and beginning October 1st, Sunny Shores in Big Arm will be open. That means if you put in at Blue Bay and a storm comes up and you need to put in somewhere temporarily, you don't need to go all the way back to Blue Bay. Be safe!

Bounties
Several questions and comments have been received about a bounty system for lake trout. Fisheries staff is investigating that possibility for future events.

State Boat Decal Reminder
Be sure and check out the Montana FWP Validation Decal on your boat.

Last Day Awards
We require that anglers to be present to win any merchandise prizes. The lottery cash prizes will be mailed to anglers who are not present.

Important Notice About Fish Tagging

The Tribal Fisheries Program is continuing to estimate the size of the lake trout population by means of the mark and recapture method. As we continue our efforts to increase harvest, it is increasingly important to demonstrate how increased harvest affects the abundance of lake trout.

We need to tag a large number of fish to get a good estimate, and we request your continued help in this effort. More tags in the lake mean better population estimates and better opportunities for you to catch tagged fish. The fisheries program staff will be on the lake to collect fish from anglers for tagging on most Fridays during the contest.

We will try to restrict our activities to smaller portions of the lake so that we can approach anglers several times during the day to collect their fish for tagging, and so that you can be aware of when we will be returning to your site. We will keep track of each fish we take from you and report that information to Cindy. If you have several live fish and have not seen fisheries program staff on the lake please call my cell phone and we will respond as quickly as possible. If you don’t have a live well or large cooler, we could possibly lend you one so that you can keep your fish in a healthy condition for release.

Note that we cannot take fish that have been punctured to reduce the air in their bladders. To tag a lake trout in order to put back into the lake it has to be in good shape. My cell phone number is 406-270-3386. Thank you for your participation in Mack Days and your efforts to help increase native fish abundance in Flathead Lake.

Icing and Freezing Your Fish

Lake trout donated during the event or even for your own use need to be kept on ice. We cannot accept fish that are not kept cold-meaning iced during the day. Please use plenty of ice to insure the quality of the fish. We have added a page on the topic, which you can read by clicking here: Icing and Freezing

Please review what’s recommended to make sure you are not needlessly wasting your catch.

Catch and Release

We have added a page on catch and release techniques and recommendations here: Catch and Release

Please review what’s recommended to make sure you are not needlessly harming fish you release.

Learn about the Lake’s Fishery
Read an interesting blog about the history of the lake’s fishery and current management options

Hook Sharpening
Check Out this article on Hook Sharpening, which is key to proper maintenance of your tackle.

Shrimp
Check Out this article on Mysis Shrimp, an important food source for lake trout.

Listen

During the Mack Days event, listen to Cindy's live updates on Montana Outdoor Radio Show each Saturday morning between 7:00 and 7:30 (exact time will vary somewhat).
Check out the Mangler at http://www.themangler.com