The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) is making adjustments to fisheries in the Laramie region in response to some of the driest conditions observed in the past 30 years.
Colter Brown is a regional fisheries biologist with WGFD working in the Laramie region. He said they’ve adjusted stocking plans, which means reducing stocking in some reservoirs and eliminating it altogether in others. Game and Fish won’t be stocking Elk Mountain Reservoir and Shirley Basin Reservoir this season.
“We might eliminate some stocking or reduce numbers just to stock it to a similar rate to a normal year, but there’s just less water, so less fish need to go into it,” said Brown.
Brown also said they’re anticipating high water temperatures earlier in the year, which could pose a challenge for the Laramie region’s cold water fisheries and fish like trout.
“This year, it’s going to get to a level that’s really stressful for fish,” said Brown. “If a trout gets caught and the water temperature is 70 degrees, there’s a good chance that it just won’t do well.”
Low water levels and high temperatures can create a dangerous feedback loop for fish.
“These fish have less total habitat, and with less water, it heats more quickly. So it’s kind of a one-two on those fish, where not only is the water getting hot, but there’s less of it,” said Brown.
Higher temperatures also increase the risk of fungal infection in fish. Brown said fish can normally fight off infection in favorable conditions, but that becomes much harder when they’re caught and stressed. Warm water also creates ideal conditions for cyanobacteria blooms, which can contain toxins that can make humans and pets sick.
Brown identified the Laramie River from the town of Laramie to the state line and the North Platte River from near Fort Steele to the state line as two popular summer fishing spots that could be impacted.
Brown said if people want to fish in those waters, they should go early in the morning when water temperatures will be cooler and stop fishing at noon.
“If you do catch fish and release them, they’ll have a lot higher chance of survival if you do that while the water temps are cool,” he said.
Brown emphasized the importance of keeping fish in the water as much as possible when doing catch and release. He suggested that people carry pocket thermometers to test water temperatures and avoid fishing in anything over 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
As for good fishing this summer, Brown recommended going to fish for species that tolerate warm water better, like large mouth bass or walleye. He pointed to Hawk Springs Reservoir, Grayrocks Reservoir or Wheatland Reservoir No. 1. Brown also suggested fishing alpine lakes and creeks in the Snowy Range and Sierra Madre Range.
Brown said the last year he can remember conditions being this severe was 2002.
“It could be the worst year, really, on record for the fisheries in the Laramie region,” said Brown. “We’re just hoping for these spring rains. And we’ve had bad droughts in the past as well where the fish are pretty resilient.”
Brown said the late-season snowstorm is what they were hoping for and he hopes for more spring precipitation, but it was not significant enough to change the drought outlook or fishing recommendations.
