Submitted Photo Snagging paddlefish is legal May 1-21 for those with a valid paddlefish tag. Photo from NDGF.

A highlight of my early years with the Game and Fish Department as a district game warden was the variety of field training opportunities. New wardens learn different required skills from seasoned wardens at stations literally in every corner of North Dakota. My primary training warden was Kurt Aufforth, who was stationed in Watford City at the time, and my weeks with him coincided with the paddlefish snagging season.

A lot has changed since then. Kurt is retired and I’m a biologist in West Fargo, but the interest in the paddlefish continues to grow. While there’s obvious growth in North Dakota in population and jobs, many of these same people enjoy what we do by hunting, fishing and spending time outdoors. And snagging paddlefish in western North Dakota is just one of those activities.

2024 paddlefish regulations

The snagging of paddlefish is legal May 1 through May 21 for those with a valid paddlefish tag. Paddlefish snagging is legal only from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Central time) during each day of the paddlefish snagging season. Select days are set aside for harvest and release only.

Depending on overall harvest, an “in-season” closure may occur, with a 24-hour notice issued by the Game and Fish director. If this occurs, there will be no refunds for unused tags.

If there is an early closure, snag-and-release-only will still be allowed for a seven-day period immediately following the harvest closure, but not to extend beyond May 21.

Notice of an early closure and subsequent days set aside for snag-and-release-only will be announced by the department. Once a snagger harvests a paddlefish, they can no longer snag for paddlefish at any subsequent time during the current season (including snag-and release-only and extended snag-and-release-only days).

The open area includes the Yellowstone River in North Dakota, and the Missouri River 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 WMA (river mile 1,565).

A paddlefish snagger must obtain and have in their possession a valid paddlefish tag, in addition to a valid fishing license that may be required. Only one tag per snagger will be issued and the tag is not transferable to another individual. Any paddlefish tag locked shut prior to attachment, altered, or modified shall be voided and will not be replaced.

Keep in mind the department’s goal remains to limit regulation changes whether it’s for deer, ducks, pheasants or paddlefish. Even so, sometimes changes are warranted for scientific and social reasons.