Flaming Gorge Management
Flaming Gorge Reservoir spans Wyoming and Utah, and the fishery is co-managed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The popular fishery attracts anglers searching for trophy kokanee salmon and lake trout, with anglers traveling from neighboring states to exploit the abundance of lake trout less than 25 inches. Recently, the kokanee salmon population has been lower than just a few years ago. The reduction is likely due to the increase in small lake trout and recent reservoir drawdowns.
Sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s, someone or some persons illegally introduced burbot, also known as ling, into the Green River Drainage. The invasive species began showing up in Game and Fish netting surveys in 2003—their presence has changed area fishing management and opportunities forever. The only way to have some control of burbot is with angler harvest and liberal regulations.
Fishing for illegally transplanted burbot in the Green River drainage has become popular with ice anglers. Fishery managers have set liberal regulations on burbot to encourage anglers to harvest as many burbot as possible and help suppress these voracious non-native predators. There is no limit on burbot in Area 4, which includes all of the Green River drainage, including Flaming Gorge, Fontenelle Reservoir and Big Sandy Reservoir.
New Regulations Effective October 01, 2024
Angler Resources
Tips for catching lake trout
Catching and keeping small lake trout benefits the trophy lake trout and kokaness salmon populations. Below are tips for catching lake trout.
Tips for catching burbot
Angler harvest and liberal regulations help keep the burbot population in check. Below are tips for catching burbot.
Locations to fish for burbot and lake trout
This document includes images of Flaming Gorge Reservoir clipped from Naivonics ChartViewer. Color-coded circles have been added to the images to identify locations where anglers have had previous success catching lake trout and burbot.
Frequently asked questions
Why should all anglers be concerned about lake trout numbers in Flaming Gorge Reservoir?
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) manage Flaming Gorge Reservoir (FGR) to provide fishing opportunities for a variety of anglers, the majority of which visit the reservoir to fish for kokanee salmon and rainbow trout. Kokanee salmon and rainbow trout are not only prized sportfish but also the forage that helps maintain the trophy lake trout population. Population surveys completed over the last three decades have shown an increase in the abundance of small lake trout (e.g., less than 28 inches) and a decrease in the abundance of kokanee salmon and rainbow trout. As the population of small lake trout increases, their consumption of kokanee salmon and rainbow trout also increases. If the population of small lake trout is not reduced, there will be less forage to sustain trophy lake trout and fewer kokanee salmon and rainbow trout available for anglers.
Why are managers concerned with lake trout numbers in Flaming Gorge Reservoir?
Once lake trout reach a large enough size, they become highly effective predators of kokanee and rainbow trout. The predator/prey relationship must be managed to maintain balance between all species. In FGR, this relationship is on the verge of imbalance due to the increase in the number of predators, specifically lake trout less than 28 inches. When lake trout reach a length of 25 inches, they primarily consume fish. Suppose the population of small lake trout, especially those under 25 inches, is not reduced. In that case, there will be fewer kokanee salmon and rainbow trout to support the lake trout population and the salmon and trout recreational fishery.
What is the solution?
Angler harvest is currently the most viable option for reducing numbers of small lake trout. Managers are engaged in a long-term effort to keep the fishery in balance with the help of anglers. Anglers are encouraged to target and harvest lake trout less than 28-inches long. Reducing the population of small lake trout will decrease competition between the remaining fish and predation on forage species (e.g., kokanee salmon and rainbow trout). Small lake trout are excellent table fare, healthy to consume, and provide substantial fillets considering the liberal limit (unlimited on lake trout 28 inches and less, only 1 over 28-inches per day and in possession).
What management actions are WGFD and UDWR implementing to reduce the abundance of small lake trout and recover the kokanee and trout populations?
Both agencies empower the anglers to be part of the solution by adopting more aggressive lake trout regulations. The new regulations will be adopted on the Wyoming side of Flaming Gorge Reservoir on October 1, 2024. Similar regulations will be adopted on the Utah side of the reservoir on January 1, 2025. The new regulations will allow anglers to harvest an unlimited number of lake trout equal to or less than 28 inches long, and wanton waste rules will no longer apply. These changes will make it legal for anglers to properly dispose of the lake trout they harvest and may not want to eat. Anglers are reminded that the trophy lake trout in the reservoir continue to be protected by the regulation, allowing only one lake trout over 28 inches in possession. As stated above, both agencies emphasize that small lake trout are excellent table fare. Still, the goal is to allow anglers to be biologically responsible for harvesting all small lake trout even when it is more than they would like to consume. Agencies will also be netting and removing small lake trout (less than 25 inches) from identified shoreline spawning grounds between October 1 and November 15, 2024. The goal is to help reduce the population by removing 4,000 lake trout less than 25 inches.Both agencies will continue an aggressive outreach program to attract anglers to take advantage of the liberal regulations on small lake trout and burbot. Ongoing tournaments will be structured to focus angler attention and harvest on both species.
Does the agency want to eradicate lake trout at Flaming Gorge Reservoir?
Absolutely not! Anglers have identified lake trout as essential to the fishery, especially the trophy component. Lake trout that are over 28 inches in size are considered trophy size and are therefore protected by a conservative limit of one fish per day. Since lake trout are a long-lived species, relatively few need to exceed 28 inches to maintain a high-quality trophy fishery. Recent age and growth data revealed that the growth rate of lake trout is decreasing. To ensure that more lake trout exceed 28 inches, the agencies established liberal daily and possession limits on lake trout less than 28 inches to encourage the harvest of small fish and promote faster growth of the remaining fish. With careful management and public support, FGR will maintain the trophy fishery and excellent salmon and trout fisheries.
Have you considered adopting a size range for trophy lake trout other than one over 28 inches, such as one over 23-25 inches?
Yes, and a lot of thought went into the lake trout regulations proposed in 2024. Agency personnel decided to implement the regulation changes and evaluate the response in the lake trout population through annual monitoring. Both states have annual gill netting data from the 1980s which is used to monitor the changes in lake trout abundance even for specific size groups. For example, if lake trout abundance for fish between 23-28 inches declines and becomes a concern, the length limit can be adjusted to reduce harvest of that particular size group. The prediction is as the number of small lake trout is reduced, the remaining fish will grow faster and get fatter, with the reduction of competition for forage.
How will managers make sure that small lake trout are not over-harvested?
Populations of kokanee salmon, rainbow trout, small lake trout and trophy lake trout are monitored annually. With a wealth of historical information, managers have established target values for predator and prey balance. WGFD and UDWR will monitor changes in predator/prey, keep the public updated on the findings and adjust regulations as needed.
Will increasing harvest of small lake trout create poor trophy lake trout fishing in the future?
No. Actually, the opposite is true. When comparing age and growth data from 1992 to 2016, lake trout are growing much slower due to increased competition between small lake trout (e.g. < 28 inches). For example, it used to take seven years for a lake trout to reach 28 inches; now, it takes 14-16 years. Since lake trout are a long-lived species capable of reaching 50 years of age, relatively few individuals need to exceed 28 inches each year to maintain the trophy fishery. Anglers who catch and release small lake trout, thinking one day they will be 50 lbs. trophies, are mistaken. This practice will only aide in the struggle for lake trout to reach trophy length. Harvesting smaller fish leaves the remaining fish with more food, better growth rates and a much higher likelihood of becoming the next state record.
Will the predator-prey balance be restored once lake trout die off due to reduced prey abundance?
No. Lake trout evolved under extremely cold and unproductive conditions in their native range. They are long-lived and can survive prolonged periods of poor food availability. They do not die readily of starvation, a trait called "predatory inertia."
Why do management agencies and anglers talk about lake trout over 28 inches, less than 25 inches and less than 23 inches? Which size is important?
Decades of netting data have documented the lake trout population in FGR is dominated by fish less than 23-inches, especially in the Inflow region near Buckboard. Although small, this abundant group of lake trout has suppressed the kokanee population across the reservoir. Recent fishing contests encourage additional harvest of small lake trout. To focus the harvest on the appropriate size fish and reduce the risk that contestants gets cited for possessing two lake trout over 28-inches the contest sponsors decided only lake trout less than 25-inches can be entered into the contest. That maximum size also provides some separation from the abundant group of lake trout less than 23 inches, so fewer participants enter fish over the maximum size, resulting in disqualification. Biologists from WGFD and UDWR defined trophy lake trout as those over 28 inches in the mid-1990s after trying several different regulations to achieve consistency across the Stateline. The regulation has worked well since it was adopted in 1996.
Why do angler reports indicate they’re seeing fewer small lake trout in traditional areas, not agree with the lake trout abundance and population data being presented by the management agencies?
Current fisheries biologists are making decisions using an enormous amount of both new and old data collected from the FGR fishery. The dataset goes back to the 1980s and argues that an unsustainable number of small lake trout in the reservoir negatively impacts the trout and kokanee fisheries. The biologists involved with the reservoir are confident the data is accurate, and the management direction is correct. Recent netting data identified a large number of lake trout less than 17 inches. Anglers for the last few years have been commenting about catching smaller than usual lake trout from large schools, especially near cliffs. As these fish grow, they will have a significant impact on the trout and kokanee fisheries if they are not removed by anglers.The gillnetting efforts to collapse the lake trout population in Yellowstone Lake cost millions of dollars. The agencies involved recently realized they cannot collapse the fishery forever, so they are in a removal effort. Who is going to pay for similar operations on Flaming Gorge Reservoir? The situation at FGR is different. The WGFD and UDWR are not attempting to collapse the lake trout population at Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Instead, they aim to restore the population of small lake trout to a level that allows the kokanee populations to thrive and recruit both anglers and trophy lake trout. Angler harvest will play a key role in reducing the number of small lake trout in Flaming Gorge. On July 16, 2024, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission voted to reclassify lake trout as a nongame fish. The nongame status will allow for enhanced harvest of small lake trout by anglers year round, especially during fishing contests. Those anglers who do not want to process or eat harvested lake trout will not be obligated to do so by law, allowing them to dispose of the unwanted fish properly. Netting will supplement angler harvest by targeting the spawning small adult population of lake trout that mature at sizes less than 23 inches. Crews will likely net the spawning areas annually during the first few years. In time, netting should only be needed periodically to help maintain the lake trout at the appropriate level. By reducing the number of small lake trout, juvenile kokanee survival will improve, benefiting anglers seeking to catch and harvest kokanee or even those seeking to catch trophy lake trout.