FWP Updates Fish Consumption Rules for Yellowstone River Stretch

Anglers targeting the Yellowstone River now have an updated fish consumption advisory for a specific stretch of water. The Fish Consumption Advisory Board (FCAB) is warning that women of childbearing age and young children should not eat shorthead redhorse caught between Bratten Fishing Access Site and Itch-Kep-Pe Park in Columbus due to high hydrocarbon levels.

The advisory comes after a year of sampling that began in summer 2023 following a train derailment that dumped liquid asphalt into the river. FWP crews most recently collected fish samples on June 24, 2024, at Otter Creek Holmgren Ranch and Huntley. They sampled a variety of gamefish including brown trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, and channel catfish, along with other species like longnose sucker, mountain whitefish, goldeye, and shorthead redhorse.

After analyzing all the data from 2023 and 2024, only the shorthead redhorse showed problematic levels of hydrocarbons. The good news for anglers is that all previous fish consumption advisories from Aug. 11 and Sept. 19, 2023, and May 31, 2024, have been lifted. Additionally, there’s no restriction on using shorthead redhorse as cut bait.

While hydrocarbons could potentially affect liver, kidney, and blood when consuming large amounts of contaminated fish over time, these effects have only been documented in animal studies, not humans. Most chemicals found in the samples haven’t been classified as cancer-causing.

The FCAB, which includes representatives from Montana’s Department of Public Health & Human Services, Department of Environmental Quality, and Fish, Wildlife & Parks, isn’t planning additional sampling for this stretch of river. They note that because fish move freely throughout river systems, they can’t pinpoint the exact source of the contamination.

For anglers keeping fish to consume, officials say all other species that were tested fell within safe limits, making them fine for table fare.

For more information on petroleum hydrocarbons, visit the CDC’s Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons page

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award-winning outdoor journalist who resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly outdoor column for the Slidell Independent Newspaper. He also writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Commission’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He is the former host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Show and is on the board of the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association. Keith contributes to numerous publications both online and in print and prides himself on promoting South Louisiana’s unique fishery. To contact Keith email: keithlusherjr@gmail.com