Fishing

The amount of money generated by Wyoming’s outdoor recreation economy grew by just over 6% in 2023 to $2.2 billion.

A bill to regulate commercial fishing guides is back in the Legislature after several failed attempts over the last few decades. HB 5 wants to give Wyoming Game and Fish, with guidance from an advisory committee, the authority to require registration for commercial fishing boats.

There’s been a seasonal fishing closure on a stretch of the Shoshone River near Yellowstone for the past 140 years. The proposed changes would allow anglers to fish the lower part of the North Fork for two weeks in early April.

Nationwide, the sector accounted for some 2.3% of GDP, or the value of final sales of goods and services. That figure is even higher for every Mountain West state, and about twice that in Montana and Wyoming.

The West, South and East entrances, and the majority of roads, typically close to vehicle traffic for the winter season on Nov. 1.

As of Monday, anglers can fish the Firehole River and its tributaries from sunrise to sunset. This summer some rivers and streams in the park were partially closed to fly fishing due to warm water temperatures and low flows.

Fishing is now permitted on the Madison and Gibbon rivers and their tributaries. The Firehole River and its associated tributaries will be closed to fishing daily from 2 p.m. to sunrise.

Anglers can now fish some creeks and river sections that were previously limited. Full closures continue on the Madison, Firehold and some sections of the Gibbon Rivers.

The new closures go into effect Friday, July 26. Fishing will be closed daily from 2 p.m. to sunrise the following day for a handful of rivers and creeks in the park’s northwest corner.

Earlier this month, a heat wave broke records across the country and also hit Wyoming hard. Most counties in the eastern part of the state were under heat advisories for multiple days. But the heat didn’t just impact air temperatures, it also took a toll on water ecosystems. The increased heat is impacting rivers, fish and the guides that rely on them.