believed to be problems. In 1989, the Montana legis-
lature passed an act which established a procedure
for legally collecting and marketing paddlefish eggs
taken during the Yellowstone River sport snagging
season. An estimated 1360–4536 kg of paddlefish
eggs have been collected each spring Cor caviar. A
Montana/North Dakota paddlefish management
plan suggests a reduced harvest quota lor the Garri-
son Dam paddlefish beginning in 1996.Nebraska sport fishery only,classifiedas sport, sta-
tusstable/declining
Nebraska currently shares a paddlefish fishery with
South Dakota in the Gavins Point Dam tailwater. A
1600 - fish quota with a 88–1 14cmeye-to-fork-of-tail
slot length limit was established in 1989 and is rou-
tinely reached in less than one week. The most im-
portant concern is theneed to restore part of the
natural hydrography of the Missouri River, habitat
alteration, waste management, and harvest man-
age m e n t.New York (no sport or commercial fisheries, classi-
fied as extirpated, status extirpated)
The sole report of a paddlefish is from Chautauqua
Lake during the late 1800s and was likely the result
of unusual movement resulting froin flooding in the
Ohio River Valley.North Carolina (no sport or commercial fisheries,
classifiedas endangered status extirpated
There are only two unsubstantiated records for the
state; both are from Madison County.North Dakota (sport fishing only,classifiedas sport,
but designated as aspecies of special concern, status
declining)
North Dakota’s major sport fishery is in the Mis-
souri River above Lake Sakakawea and the Yellow-
stone River. Recent information suggests the pad-
dlefish population in Lake Sakakawea is suffering
from low natural recruitment. Declining reservoir
productivity and predation of young by walleye and
saugermaybe a problem. In 1993, state administra-
tive authorization allowed a procedure for legally
collecting and marketing paddlefish eggs from this
paddlefish population during the sport snaggingpresumably as a result of high commercial harvest
for eggs in the mid-1980s. The remaining stocks in
the state appear to be stable. The commercial sea-
son is closed state-wide in early spring and closed on
the Pascagoula River system and border waters
with Louisiana during late fall to early spring to pro-
tect mature females. Sport fisheries occur predom-
inantly below dams on major tributaries to the Mis-
sissippi River. There is little information regarding
the annual harvests of paddlefish bysport and com-
mercial methods. Major management concerns are
habitat destruction and possible overfishing.
Missouri (sport andcommercialfisheries, classified
as game, status Stable)
Sportfisheries occur in the upper portions of Lake
of the Ozarks, Harry S. Truman Lake, and Table
Rock Lake. The 1992sportharvest above Harry S.
Truman Lake was 4041 paddlefish. Themost recent
creel census at Lake of the Ozarks (1988) indicated
that approximately 2000 paddlefish were harvest-
ed. and 350 paddlefish were estimated harvested
during the last year of a creel census (1990) at Table
Rock Lake. Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake,
and Harry S. Truman Lake currently receive an-
nual, supplemental stocking of early juveniles. No
juveniles were stocked into Table Rock Lake from
1991 to 1994 because of an apparent lack of interest
in sport snagging due to chlordane advisories. In
1994, the chlordane advisories were lifted and sport
snagginginterest increased to near previous levels.
Major concerns are habitat alteration and poaching
for eggs. Commercial fishing was closed on the Mis-
souri River in 1990. The 1992 commercial harvest
from the Mississippi River was estimated at 2188 kg.
Montana (sport fishery only, classified as sport, but
designated as a species of special concern, status sta-
ble/declining
Sport fisheries are located on the Missouri River
above Fort Peck Reservoir and in the Yellowstone
River at Intake, Montana, and downstream to the
confluence with the Missouri River. Recent infor-
mation suggests the Yellowstone River stock (from
Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota) is suffering
from decreased natural recruitment. Declining res-
ervoir productivity and poor survival of young are