This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
Yellowstone National Park is making a partial fishing closure total on the Firehole and Madison rivers and their tributaries, as well as part of the Gibbon. In recent days, the Yellowstone rivers have become too hot.
The park says it has received reports of dead fish in the Firehole River following days where peak water temps ranged from 80 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fish can die in warm water for several reasons, including being exposed to more bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, or suffocating from low dissolved oxygen levels, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The closure remains in effect “until conditions improve,” the park said in a press release.
There are no restrictions on other park lakes.
Yellowstone extended the fishing season for those three rivers earlier this year to make up for lost time due to closures. The National Park Service said the May 1 opening date provided anglers with “more optimal angling and water conditions.”
About 50,000 visitors fish in the park each year. Fishing regulations protect native species such as the cutthroat trout. Possession of these native fish are illegal, and park officials advise anglers to follow fishing regulations when dealing with any fish in the park.
