JACKSON — Persistent warm temperatures this summer, coupled with below-average precipitation, have led to rising water temperatures in many local streams. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Jackson Region would like to remind anglers of best practices for fishing in the heat.

As summer progresses and water levels decline, rising temperatures threaten trout and other cold-water species, especially when exposed to additional pressure from angling. Warm water holds less dissolved oxygen, making it difficult for fish to recover from the stress of being caught. When temperatures exceed 70 degrees, the mortality rate for catch-and-release trout increases significantly. Late afternoon readings on the Snake River and some of its tributaries have already approached 68 degrees, with conditions expected to worsen.

What you can do

• Limit fishing to the morning hours before water temperatures peak in the late afternoon.
• Monitor real-time conditions using the Snake River Basin Streamflow and Water Temperature Explorer on the USGS website before you go, and consider a hand-held thermometer to periodically check water temperature while you are angling.
• Minimize fish exhaustion by landing them quickly and keeping them in the water during handling.
• Practice proper handling: avoid squeezing, keep fingers out of gills, and remove hooks gently.

• Keep fish that cannot maintain balance; exhausted fish are unlikely to survive if released. Area regulations allow for limited harvest and can sustain some angling mortality.

   

Game and Fish staff will continue to closely monitor water temperatures to determine if further action is needed to protect local fisheries. "While the department relies on anglers to voluntarily limit fishing during extreme heat, a formal voluntary closure or an emergency closure may be implemented if necessary to protect the resource," said Darren Rhea, Game and Fish fisheries supervisor in the Jackson Region. In the event of a closure, the public will be notified, and signs will be posted at access points to inform anglers.

For more information, contact the Game and Fish Jackson Regional Office at 307-733-2321.