State Record Bass Snagged
Brandon Wright displays his record large mouth bass after pulling it from the water at Lake Elmo in Billings Heights Saturday. (courtesy photo)
Beginning on May 1, 2021, fishing limits will be temporarily lifted at Lake Elmo in Billings Heights. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) will lift the limits on number and fish-length on the lake starting May 1 ahead of plans to completely drain the lake in October. Anglers will be able to catch and keep as many fish as they want this summer at Lake Elmo.
FWP has plans to drain Lake Elmo beginning in October 2021 and leave it dry next winter in order to eradicate invasive Asian clams found in 2019. Biologists believe the destructive clams are limited to Lake Elmo. Searches upstream and downstream from the 60-acre irrigation reservoir found no invasive clams. Biologists plan to freeze, starve and dry the invasive clams by draining the lake and leaving it dry for the winter. While the lakebed is dry, FWP fisheries and parks officials also are planning construction to improve fish habitat, angler access and visitor convenience. read more
