Flathead Reservation proposed non-resident price increases

[hk_willow]

The price goes up on everything, my only issue is how large of a jump it is.  It is more expensive to maintain these campgrounds as the price of maintenance is going up, just wish it was such a significant hike.  I think you'll find most of the out of stater license plates at the day use areas will be happy to pay the price, considering its cheaper than elsewhere. 

[MT_BINX]

The price goes up on everything, my only issue is how large of a jump it is.  It is more expensive to maintain these campgrounds as the price of maintenance is going up, just wish it was such a significant hike.  I think you'll find most of the out of stater license plates at the day use areas will be happy to pay the price, considering its cheaper than elsewhere.

very true with that. the increase sucks honestly but it is what it is. it could be like other states where we have to pay to fish for certain species of fish as well as only can target species during certain seasons. we are lucky that we are allowed to use the land.

[G fish]

It would not bother me to see less people on Flathead lake or other lakes/rivers.
Maybe taking more from the 100k wake boat owner’s.

[MT_BINX]

It would not bother me to see less people on Flathead lake or other lakes/rivers.
Maybe taking more from the 100k wake boat owner’s.

i hear that, used to be able to take the river boat out on the big lake and chase smallies, now you cant because all you see is giant boats that will come within 30feet at full throttle and wake you out. River is getting crowded more and more with people and out of state plate, out off county and none locals that really dont respect what we have.....its depressing honestly.

[BigSage]

Has everyone respectfully emailed their thoughts on the proposed increase?

[R-K]

The goal is not to eradicate the lake trout in Flathead Lake, impossible without literally serializing the lake completely. numbers of lake trout in the lake have gone way down, even with my personal experience on that lake (used to catch and tag the money fish in college) numbers have gone down dramatically and the MackDays "tournament" has done its job in brining the numbers of lakers down. Bull trout are slow to rebound but numbers are going up for them as well. the price increase scares me as well even though im a resident of the reservation and love to do multiple day floats on the lower flathead river, it does hurt to think about having to pay 400 for my family to camp. I would highly recommend all of you on this thread that are opposed to the change to write to them on the above provided emails.....and to do it tastefully. I personally count myself lucky that they opened the reservation waters back up after the Covid shut down...they could have kept all of us "none natives" out for good.....think about that a little

So with fewer lake trout... any chance of a kokanee rebound? Or has that ship sailed, wrecked, and sank with the mysis shrimp?

[missoulafish]

the later

[MT_BINX]

So with fewer lake trout... any chance of a kokanee rebound? Or has that ship sailed, wrecked, and sank with the mysis shrimp?

kokes were never really a goal with MacDays. it was more for the bull trout.

[G fish]

I would love to see the expense of many years of stocking kokes.  All that did was fatten up all the Lakers. The shrimp still thrive. Maybe if they tried land locked king salmon like Idaho.

[MT-Trout Slayer]

The solution to these situations is just like some hunting/fishing licenses for non-resident. Make it reciprocal - if the tribe sells there license at $100 then Montana should sell to tribal members at the same fee. At some point a line in the sand needs to be drawn as tribal members  shouldn't get to shoot more game - on reservation and off reservation elk, deer, moose just like the rest of us. You can hunt on reservation, but have to have a guide and cost might be $10k for a moose. If it went both ways then it would even out quickly as it should. We shouldn't have two sets of rules...it not healthy or fair to anyone. They lost a long time ago...that's what it means...they lost. We shouldn't have to pay for that...no one alive today had anything to do with it on either side.

[MT_BINX]

The solution to these situations is just like some hunting/fishing licenses for non-resident. Make it reciprocal - if the tribe sells there license at $100 then Montana should sell to tribal members at the same fee. At some point a line in the sand needs to be drawn as tribal members  shouldn't get to shoot more game - on reservation and off reservation elk, deer, moose just like the rest of us. You can hunt on reservation, but have to have a guide and cost might be $10k for a moose. If it went both ways then it would even out quickly as it should. We shouldn't have two sets of rules...it not healthy or fair to anyone. They lost a long time ago...that's what it means...they lost. We shouldn't have to pay for that...no one alive today had anything to do with it on either side.

Your one that should stay off the rez imo. They didnt loose...they had land stolen, children taken and beaten for speaking thier native tounge. If the table was the other way and your homeland used to encompassthe entire west side of the state and then you get put on a small parcell of land....you would protect it to. You have to remember that this happened to thier great grandfathers and grandmother's....if you dont want to pay stay away. As per your hunting etc off reservation  yes they are allowed to hunt deer elk etc off reservation....they still must abide
by rules etc. Moose they have to apply for. Educate yourself before you make a even more ignorant comment.  Honestly i hope you stay off rez either way. Your ignorance is astounding and your beliefs are very one sided.

[mt-mike]

agree BINX

[MT-Trout Slayer]

No worries...no intention of ever buying a license there. My point exactly...there great grandfathers...when does it end. It's like the tensions still over the North vs South. How productive is that. It's interesting to see what people carry with them to the grave rather than to move on and get over it. If our tax dollars didn't support it, I guess it wouldn't matter to anyone. We know that isn't true. No one on this forum or anywhere in the state had anything to do with what happened in the past and yet the hate still prevails.

[MT-Trout Slayer]

Probably one of the most inept things I've ever see is what is being done to the lake trout in Flathead Lake and the destruction taking place to the fishery. What isn't talked about is how much that is costing everyone passively in their electric bills and directly by monies paid directly for the removal of lake trout from the Flathead Lake. With that kind of management philosophy I wouldn't knowingly contribute a dime regardless of how good the other fishing may be. Again you can't go back in time. Do you really think the dams are going to be removed to return the watershed to the original state when bull trout thrived. Even if the dams were removed it would be impossible to restore the fishery yet here we are netting both lake trout and bull trout and whatever else gets caught in the nets for what reason?? To restore the native fishery. No one believes that will ever happen. So again a price increase for a dwindling fishery won't attract a lot of interest. On the other hand...a 10 fish limit to protect perch...another non-native fish...one more example of poor management decisions. Guess I'll never understand what the difference is between non-native perch and non-native lake trout...one with a 100 fish limit and the other with 10. Then we could talk about the non-native ring necked pheasant that seems to be above the other native game birds in protection. Another example of a double standard. Guess it makes sense to someone.

[MT_BINX]

So you have no intention of fishing the rez.... why comment? Is it too feed a ego of false facts? Or to try and be a keyboard warrior? Your facts are skewed.... your comments are biased and ignorant.... you honestly know nothing about the fisheries here or how they are managed..... you should really research and truly figure out what they are trying to do here with the waters.  For someone who says how terrible the fishing is here..... you really are complaining about a raise in pricing that won't affect you. 

[coldcreekchris]

Binx. i applaud your humanistic rational responses to such ingrained hatred and prejudice.

[MT_BINX]

Binx. i applaud your humanistic rational responses to such ingrained hatred and prejudice.

Breathing hate back only makes it worse. Ive lived here my whole life and count myself lucky to be able to fish these waters honestly. 

[SLIMMETT]

Raising prices for recreational permits on the Flathead Reservation by the tribe, I am surprised it didn’t happen long before now.  The tribe had no choice but to do this with the influx of people wanting to live and recreate on the reservation.
Having grown up on the reservation I feel  confident in understanding their objectives regarding the natural resources contained within the reservation and how increased use impacts those resources.
In regards to Flathead Lake it is hard to understand the fishery there unless you have traveled through the drainages that flow into the lake.  The South, Middle, and North forks of the Flathead and Swan River. I have traveled through all these areas extensively and have seen cold, clear streams and lakes full of Westslope Cutthroat and Bull trout, an ecosystem mostly intact and connected directly to Flathead Lake. 
Hungry Horse Dam and a dam on the Swan River restrict passage of fish but for the most part the connectivity is there.
The tribe is simply trying to help native species get back to where they once were, I am all for that.
Stay safe on the ice!

[MT_BINX]

Raising prices for recreational permits on the Flathead Reservation by the tribe, I am surprised it didn’t happen long before now.  The tribe had no choice but to do this with the influx of people wanting to live and recreate on the reservation.
Having grown up on the reservation I feel  confident in understanding their objectives regarding the natural resources contained within the reservation and how increased use impacts those resources.
In regards to Flathead Lake it is hard to understand the fishery there unless you have traveled through the drainages that flow into the lake.  The South, Middle, and North forks of the Flathead and Swan River. I have traveled through all these areas extensively and have seen cold, clear streams and lakes full of Westslope Cutthroat and Bull trout, an ecosystem mostly intact and connected directly to Flathead Lake. 
Hungry Horse Dam and a dam on the Swan River restrict passage of fish but for the most part the connectivity is there.
The tribe is simply trying to help native species get back to where they once were, I am all for that.
Stay safe on the ice!

 

[MT-Trout Slayer]

"So you have no intention of fishing the rez.... why comment? Is it too feed a ego of false facts? Or to try and be a keyboard warrior? Your facts are skewed.... your comments are biased and ignorant.... you honestly know nothing about the fisheries here or how they are managed..... you should really research and truly figure out what they are trying to do here with the waters.  For someone who says how terrible the fishing is here..... you really are complaining about a raise in pricing that won't affect you."

My comments aren't biased and I'm not ignorant. I know it's boring reading, but maybe you should educate yourself about the fisheries as well. CSKT isn't in a vacuum. They only have half the lake, but what they do affects the entire lake. The last figure I saw was that the Great Lakes Whitefish made up over 70% of the biomass in Flathead Lake. What is the management plan for those. If you look at the study, they eat small fish too. Taking out the lake trout will only increase the population of Whitefish. My comment about license fees had to do with what it should cost tribal members to fish off reservation...reciproc al would be very fair in my opinion. Again, being a taxpayer gives me just as many rights as you to comment on the cost of licenses both off and on the reservation. If I chose not to fish on the reservation, it most likely has nothing to do with the tribe or their rules...only the fact that there are plenty of other places to fish without incurring another license and the associated rules. There may be a time where I don't buy a Montana license and just fish in the park or Alaska where the fishing is actually good. It's a big assumption to assume someone isn't familiar with all the drainages of the Flathead or anything else for that matter. Given the Swan is already compromised with Lake Trout and MTFWP has already given up on trying to net them out of Swan Lake should be the first clue that there's no going back. I have educated myself about the fishery and attempted to educate myself about how much CSKT has been getting paid to net lake trout out of Flathead Lake by both the Federal government and Bonneville Power or other power generating agencies. Given that you live on the "rez", maybe you could let us all know how much money that is since you're more educated than some of us. I've found that is a well kept secret with the research I've done, but I'm betting it's a large number over a long period of time. If you think the tribe is running a netting operation of that magnitude and doing it out of their pockets then you're maybe a little naive. Again, do you think they're not killing bull trout in there nets, along with may other fish. Ever heard of bycatch? Maybe you should google it...has the tribe ever published what their bycatch is and how many pounds of bycatch they produce per year. Another question that maybe you can find out since you live on the "rez" Does that somehow not affect the fishing on the north end of Flathead Lake that isn't on the "rez"? I will be interested in hearing your answers...or do I just get more degrading comments that mean nothing. I and everyone that is a member has a right to comment on any thread last time I looked. If you don't like what I say you have a right to respond, but I wouldn't make too many assumptions about what people may or may not know based on any internet forum.

[oldschoolben]

I thought lake trout was considered a trash fish, and perch a game fish

[missoulafish]

The Bull trout will never come back. The habitat is degraded past that point and netting half the lake just to collect $$ is not a valid management plan. The lake could grow 40 pound lake trout all day long if they were protected instead of gill netted. There's way more value in 40 pound lake trout vs hoping bull trout recover.

[gillsonice]

I agree

[meandcuznalfy]

The Bull trout will never come back. The habitat is degraded past that point and netting half the lake just to collect $$ is not a valid management plan. The lake could grow 40 pound lake trout all day long if they were protected instead of gill netted. There's way more value in 40 pound lake trout vs hoping bull trout recover.

X2

[MT_BINX]

i have never argued that a lake trout fishery will make more money...that's not the point. the point of the CSKT Environmental Impact statement and Plan is to restore reservation lands and waters to as close to pre contact as can be achieved. As per the comment on me "educating" myself on the fisheries of the reservation....well if you'd like to discus this further id love to do that so you can see the "education" level your talking about. The bottom line here.....if this was a parcel of private land that you couldn't fish...you'd be mad crack another natty lite and move on.

And MR Panhandle....to mock someone's culture and spiritual beliefs is a new time low........if someone mocked your religion and beliefs they would be the devil...but you can and its ok?

The reservation is the tribes land...bottom line...they can do what ever that want with it. That being said. Stay safe on the ice, tight lines, and by all means....have a great day

[gillsonice]

I would like to apologize for my comment about the spirit fish, It is not my place to make light of anyones beliefs, It is my place to respect them and I'm truely sorry for that statment and will delete it

[Born Late]

Thanks for the insight, BINX.

[oldschoolben]

Lakers and bull trout are nothing but trash fish

[pmmpete]

Today I received a message from Cindy Benson with information about the Spring 2022 Mack Days fishing derby, which starts on March 17.  She said "Want to clarify the issue of Flathead Lake fishing licenses. The south half fishing license on Flathead Lake is a $19-license plus $2-Prevention Pass for anyone in the state. Out of state south half fishing license is $19 plus $14. Nothing has changed for Flathead Lake. There are changes coming for other categories of recreation fees on the reservation."

[G fish]

Today I received a message from Cindy Benson with information about the Spring 2022 Mack Days fishing derby, which starts on March 17.  She said "Want to clarify the issue of Flathead Lake fishing licenses. The south half fishing license on Flathead Lake is a $19-license plus $2-Prevention Pass for anyone in the state. Out of state south half fishing license is $19 plus $14. Nothing has changed for Flathead Lake. There are changes coming for other categories of recreation fees on the reservation."

This is great news. Maybe people can relax and just enjoy the same hobbies.