Southwest Wyoming has a new ice fishing contest and the Buckboard Pup-ulation Control Contest has gotten off to a good start on Flaming Gorge Reservoir.  On December 10, Green River resident Don Phillips caught the first tagged lake trout in Buckboard Bay, while fishing from shore for rainbow trout.  Fortunately for Don he had taken advantage of the contest’s FREE registration. 

Registering for the contest prior to turning in the tag means Don walked away with a $100 check and now has one tag in the drawing for the grand prizes.  If Don had not registered for the contest prior to turning in the tag he would have won $25 dollars but would not have been eligible for the grand prize drawing.

“The location where Don caught the tagged lake trout is interesting”, according to John Walrath, Green River Fisheries Biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.  “First, because no lake trout were captured, tagged, or released in Buckboard Bay. Secondly, because the lake trout Don caught was tagged and released over 10 miles way.”

While the new owners of Buckboard Marina at Flaming Gorge have been busy remodeling the marina infrastructure, they are committed to doing what they can to help enhance the fishery in Flaming Gorge Reservoir. In cooperation with the Game and Fish they hatched the idea for this contest.  The main goal of the contest is to draw attention to the abundance of small lake trout in Flaming Gorge Reservoir and encourage anglers to harvest more lake trout less than 25 inches.  There are multiple prize categories, it is FREE to register, but most importantly you must be registered to qualify for most of the prizes. You can find more information about the contest including rules at Buckboardmarina.net.

“This is a great time of year for anglers to pursue lake trout, large and small, on Flaming Gorge Reservoir,” says Walrath.  “As lake trout complete their spawn activity they are on the prowl looking for food. The winter months are a great time to pursue lake trout because they can be caught from shore, boat and ice (once it’s thick enough). Unlike the warm months when lake trout are restricted to the deep cold waters in Flaming Gorge, the cold water of winter allows lake trout to cruise the shallows as well.” 

Anglers can find more information on lake trout, including tips on catching lake trout, recipes, and management strategies by visiting the following Wyoming Game and Fish Department website: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regional-Offices/Green-River-Region/Flaming-Gorge-Management.