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Paddlefish Snagging Season Opens May 1, 2016

by NDGFD


A paddlefish tag is required to participate in North Dakota’s paddlefish snagging season, which opens May 1 and is scheduled to continue through the end of May. However, depending on the overall harvest, an early in-season closure may occur with a 24-hour notice issued by the state Game and Fish Department.

 

 

Snag-and-release of all paddlefish is required on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays; therefore, the first two days of the 2016 snagging season will be snag-and-release only. Mandatory harvest of all snagged paddlefish is required on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. On these days, all paddlefish caught must be kept and tagged immediately.

 

 

All paddlefish snagged and tagged must be removed from the river by 9 p.m. of each snagging day. 

 

 

Those planning to participate during snag-and-release-only days need to have in their possession a current season, unused paddlefish snagging tag. Use or possession of gaffs is prohibited on snag-and-release-only days, and, if it occurs, during the snag-and-release extension period.

 

 

Legal snagging hours are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. One tag per snagger will be issued. Snagging is legal in all areas of the Yellowstone River in North Dakota, and in the area of the Missouri River lying west of the U.S. Highway 85 bridge to the Montana border, excluding that portion from the pipeline crossing (river mile 1,577) downstream to the upper end of the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Management Area (river mile 1,565).

 

 

If the season closes early because the harvest cap is reached, an extended snag-and-release-only period will be allowed for up to four days immediately following the early closure, but not to extend beyond May 31. Only snaggers with a current season, unused paddlefish snagging tag are eligible to participate. Only a limited area at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers is open to this extended season snagging opportunity.

 

 

All paddlefish snaggers must possess a paddlefish tag in addition to a valid fishing license. Cost of a paddlefish tag is $10 for residents and $25.50 for nonresidents.

 

 

Addresses and phone numbers of vendors selling tags:

 

 

 

Bismarck Game and Fish Office

 

 

100 N. Bismarck Expressway

 

 

Bismarck, ND 58501

 

 

701-328-6300

 

 

 

 

 

Sportsman’s Warehouse

 

 

925 32nd Avenue West

 

 

Williston, ND  58801

 

 

701-572-2500

 

 

 

 

 

Scenic Sports

 

 

1201 East Broadway

 

 

Williston, ND 58801

 

 

701-572-8696

 

 

 

 

 

Wal-Mart, Inc.

 

 

4001 2nd Avenue West

 

 

Williston, ND  58801

 

 

701-572-8550

 

 

                                                            

 

 

Runnings Farm and Fleet 

 

 

2003 3rd Avenue West

 

 

Dickinson, ND 58601

 

 

701-483-1226