Blackfoot River Wildlife and Fish

Wildlife
The Blackfoot River WMA provides year-round habitat for moose. The aspen/conifer forested hills provide some winter habitat for elk, but most of the big game migrates to the Georgetown front, the 90 Percent Range, and possibly to Tex Creek WMA to the north. Due to snow depths, limited forage availability and thermal cover on the WMA, the area is not considered big game winter range. Elk and mule deer frequently use the WMA in the spring, summer and fall.

Smaller mammal species are year long residents, including badger, striped skunk, weasel, snowshoe hare, chipmunk, porcupine, and coyote. The streams and waterways of the Blackfoot River WMA provide a home to beaver, muskrats, and mink.

Many species of waterfowl, including mallards, teal, gadwall, pintail, widgeon, and Canada geese nest and rear their young on the Blackfoot River WMA. Courtship displays of several pairs of sandhill cranes can be seen in the spring, along with shorebirds such as common snipe, willet, long-billed curlew, spotted sandpiper, sora, and killdeer. Forest areas provide food and shelter for blue grouse and ruffed grouse.

Yellow warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, MacGillivray’s warbler, vesper sparrow, chipping sparrow, savannah sparrow, American goldfinch, lazuli bunting, western kingbird, evening grosbeak, yellow-bellied sapsucker, green-tailed towhee, Steller’s jay, ruby-crowned kinglet, western meadowlark, and willow flycatcher are some of the birds that inhabit Blackfoot River WMA’s forest, riparian, and upland habitat. Bald and golden eagles, Swainson’s hawk, red-tailed hawk, rough-legged hawk, and northern harrier also frequent the area.

Fisheries
The Blackfoot River historically provided one of the finest wild Yellowstone cutthroat trout fisheries in the nation. The construction of the Government Dam and Blackfoot Reservoir in the early 1900’s provided optimum growing conditions for the resident cutthroat. The river was lightly fished through the 1940’s, but when mining companies arrived in Soda Springs to mine and process phosphate ore, the community’s growth led to a major increase in fishing pressure. Although fishing pressure increased markedly from 1951 to 1957, the quality of the fishery remained outstanding. It was too good to last. By 1975, opening day catch rates above the Slug Creek Bridge dropped to a low of 0.5 fish per hour. Cutthroat virtually disappeared from the fishery. Managers began supplementing with hatchery rainbow trout.

The cutthroat decline greatly concerned anglers and biologists. From 1978 to 1980, fisheries research biologists conducted an exhaustive study of the Blackfoot River fishery. From their work plus angler input, fisheries managers produced the Upper Blackfoot System Management Plan in 1990. The plan includes fishing regulations to encourage growth of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout population and seeks opportunities to improve trout habitat.

One of the primary missions of the WMA is to provide public access for hunting and fishing. The Blackfoot River continues to be a popular cutthroat trout fishery. With measures to restore the cutthroat trout fishery in place, we hope the wild trout fishery will again attain the quality thought to have existed only in the “good old days.” The fishing season does not open until July 1 each year to allow for cutthroat trout spawning. Other special regulations apply so please consult current fishing regulations.