A man fishes the Green River along a grassy stretch of shoreline with mountains in the background

Fishing in the heat

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department urges anglers to adjust fishing practices during the state's hottest stretch of summer to help fish beat the heat.

When it’s hot and dry, Wyoming's streams and rivers flow with less water. High air temperatures cause water temperatures to rise. The higher water temperatures and loss of deep-pool habitats can prove lethal to trout. In lower-elevation reservoirs, lakes and ponds trout and salmon may become stressed, particularly when hooked and pulled into the warm surface waters.
 

Practices you can adjust to help more fish survive the heat

  • Follow voluntary closure guidance (see above for active closures and advisories).
  • Pursue some of Wyoming’s warm and coolwater game fish like walleye, bass and catfish instead of trout.
  • Escape the heat by fishing Wyoming’s high country where temperatures are cooler.

Anglers who adjust their practices can help more fish survive the heat.