VICTOR - As roads are damaged in Yellowstone National Park, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) have closed all recreation along the Yellowstone River, a move that one FWP official said hasn’t happened for at least 20 years.
The fast and cold water flowing in along the river presents a clear danger to people recreating. FWP Region 2 spokeswoman Vivica Crowser said boaters and anglers need to think hard before they go into any river right now.
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“That water and those conditions are really dangerous in some spots and those conditions can change really quickly,” Crowser said. “So even if you were out fairly recently and felt comfortable, it’s not safe to say it’s going to be the same right now. It’s really better to wait and let those water levels come down a bit and head out into the rivers a little later this season.”
Crowser said game wardens and other staff regularly check fishing access sites for signs of flooding. If the water level rises enough that driving a vehicle may be dangerous, a partial closure goes into effect.
AS of Tuesday afternoon, a few fishing access points along the Bitterroot have been closed to vehicles. FWP’s current waterbody closure information can be found at https://fwp.mt.gov/news/current-closures-restrictions/waterbody-closures
