You might not think about crustaceans or crayfish when you think of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, but we do manage them. 
 

Crayfish also known as crawdads, resemble miniature lobsters and are found along shorelines with large rocks in lakes, reservoirs and slow moving rivers. Most species are nocturnal and capturing them effectively requires leaving traps out overnight. Crayfish are more abundant in southern and eastern Wyoming.  

There are four native and two introduced species of crayfish in the state. While crayfish are much smaller than lobsters and only provide a small morsel of edible meat, they are a sought after treat for some. Here are the guidelines for harvest:

• Harvesting crayfish in Wyoming does not require any licenses or permits. 
• Commercially produced traps constructed of a woven mesh are the most common harvest method, but there are other ways that work as well.  
• All traps set for crayfish must have the owner’s name and address clearly attached. 
• Once captured and in your possession, crayfish must be fully confined and may not be released, abandoned or allowed to escape.  
• Crayfish can be used as fishing bait only on the water where they were captured.  
• If you or your kids capture a crayfish and take it home, never release it or allow it to escape. 
• If your crayfish traps capture fish, they must be immediately released unless the fish captured meet the stipulations of a License to Trap and Seine Live Baitfish you possess.

All species may be harvested except for the rusty crayfish. Rusty crayfish were illegally introduced in southeast Wyoming and are an aquatic invasive species. They spread prolifically and outcompete other species, including native crayfish. It is illegal to collect, harvest or possess rusty crayfish.  People collecting crayfish from Albany, Converse, Goshen and Platte counties in particular should become familiar with the difference between rustys and natives before retrieving crayfish traps.

Rusty crayfish can be identified by the dark rust colored spots on either side of the carapace.  Anyone capturing a rusty crayfish should report the catch to the Game and Fish Department as soon as possible. 

Fishing licenses can be purchased online (link below) or at one of the many license-selling agents throughout Wyoming (link below). Annual fishing licenses are valid for 365 days from the date of purchase. Daily and multi-day licenses also are available.

License Price List

Purchase a License Online

Find a License Selling Agent

Artificial flies and lures are man-made and DO NOT INCLUDE living or dead organisms or edible parts thereof, natural or processed foodstuffs, scents, flavors or chemical attractants, whether added in the manufacturing process or applied afterward.

In Grand Teton National Park, anglers 14 years old and older must purchase a Wyoming fishing license (link below). The license is valid for fishing within Grand Teton National Park and on public waters outside the park in Wyoming (not in Yellowstone National Park or the Wind River Indian Reservation).

In Yellowstone National Park, anglers 16 years old and older must purchase a fishing permit from the National Park Service (link below). The Wyoming Game and Fish Department does not sell park service licenses nor manage fisheries within Yellowstone National Park. National Park fishing permits are not valid outside of the park boundaries.

On the Wind River Indian Reservation, permits are required for fishing (link below). Game and Fish does not sell reservation permits nor manage fisheries on reservation lands. Reservation permits are not valid beyond the boundaries of the reservation.

Grand Teton - Wyoming Fishing License

Yellowstone National Park Fishing

Wind River Indian Reservation Fishing

Yes. Unless the water is closed to all fishing. 

A Wyoming angler may use two poles or lines while fishing, and no additional license is required. Anglers must remain in attendance of poles/lines at all times.

On a small number of lakes and reservoirs, anglers may use up to six poles or lines while fishing through the ice. The Special Ice Fishing Provision and waters where this applies can be found in the Fishing Regulation Booklet. Anglers must remain in attendance of poles/lines at all times.

No. Harvested fish are in the creel and possession of the angler who caught the fish.

Artificial light is allowed while fishing in Wyoming (*for spearfishing, see below). Devices allowed include strike indicators, bobbers, bait and tackle chemically enhanced to produce light, lighted poles, fish finders, underwater cameras, battery-powered lures, glowing bait and lures and submersible lights.

*Only nongame fish may be taken with a spear gun by use of artificial light. This includes game fish in waters where they are classified as nongame fish. Examples include burbot in Flaming Gorge Reservoir and walleye in Buffalo Bill Reservoir.

Unless otherwise noted for a specific water, the daily creel limit in Wyoming is also the possession limit. This means that according to Wyoming law, no person may have in their possession more than the number and length of fish specified as the creel limit. The law stipulates that the possession limit includes fish in transit or storage. In other words, if you catch your limit of fish you should eat some before catching more. A few waters have possession limits that are twice the daily creel limit for some species, such as lake trout at Bighorn Lake and Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

Yes. State records by certified weight for fish caught by hook and line are maintained for all game fish species and large nongame species. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department keeps records for total weight only, not length, gear or line class.

Current Records

Rules for Submitting

Wyoming residents under the age of 14 do not require a fishing license.

Nonresident youth under the age of 14 do not need a fishing license if they are accompanied by an adult with a valid Wyoming fishing license.

Fish harvested by unlicensed, nonresident youth under the age of 14 shall be applied to the adult license holder in their company.

Can I use bait while fishing on the water I plan to visit?

Bait (worms, PowerBait, salmon eggs, etc.) can be used on the majority of Wyoming waters, but there are exceptions. To determine if the water you are visiting is an exception, consult the Fishing Regulations to see if that water is listed in the booklet. Exceptions listed as flies and lures only are the only waters where these baits are NOT allowed. If the water you plan on fishing is not listed as flies and lures only, it falls under the statewide rules and use of these baits is allowed. 

Additional restrictions on acquisition, possession and use of live minnows can be found in the regulation booklet. After consulting the Fishing Regulations and you are still not sure, call one of our Game and Fish offices and we will be happy to answer your questions.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department provides access to all recent (and back to 1985) fish stocking reports in the state via the Game and Fish website. Anglers can query the records by species, water and/or county. Recent stocking is updated frequently. View the Fish Stocking Database for all fish stocking reports.