Wyoming Fishing Regs Change

If you head out to go fishing after the holidays, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is pointing out that the New Year brings changes to the fishing regulations.  Beginning January 1st anglers can now keep six trout of any size in lakes and reservoirs throughout Wyoming, but only 3 trout from a river or stream, with only one of the three trout over 16 inches. Additionally, anglers may keep only one cutthroat trout over 12 inches across most of western Wyoming, including the Snake, Green, and Wind/Bighorn River drainages. There is also a new statewide lake trout regulation of 6 lake trout with only 1 over 24 inches. The creel and possession limits for brook trout and mountain whitefish will also change. Previously, anglers could keep up to 16 brook trout, but only six of these fish could be over eight inches. With the new regulations, anglers will be able to keep up to 16 brook trout of any size. The mountain whitefish limit has been reduced from 25 down to six fish daily.  One other change will remove the age restriction for anglers on Flat Creek through the town of Jackson, which allowed youth only.  Jackson Fish Supervisor, Rob Gipson explains that the department didn’t feel like this particular regulation was achieving that goal. Instead, Gipson says, it actually made it illegal for adults to provide much assistance to kids and it prohibited adults with disabilities from fishing those waters.  Gipson reminds anglers that the 2011 hunting and fishing licenses expire Friday.