GREEN RIVER— Since January the Flaming Gorge Chamber of Commerce, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources have collaborated on an Angler Harvest Program aimed at encouraging anglers to harvest lake trout under 25 inches long at Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
The goal is to reduce the number of smaller lake trout in the reservoir and improve overall health and balance of the fishery. Removal of these smaller fish reduces competition for forage, improves growth rates of remaining lake trout and helps maintain a balanced predator–prey relationship that benefits the broader sportfish community.
Participation in the program has been lower than anticipated due to poor ice conditions. Despite those challenges, 20 anglers have supported the effort by harvesting lake trout and submitting their heads to the program.
To date, anglers submitted 552 lake trout as part of the program. Several anglers have been especially active participants and currently lead the leaderboard for the most lake trout heads submitted. There are cash prizes for most submissions, random draws, and instant rewards for the first 10 tagged fish submissions. So far, only 3 tagged fish have been turned in.
The current top five anglers are:
- Robb Keith – 237 fish.
- Jeremy Wallace – 61 fish.
- Stephanie Wallace – 50 fish.
- Catrina Johnson – 47 fish.
- John Lundgren – 26 fish.
There is still time to participate; the program ends April 30. Game and Fish encourages anglers to take advantage of the time left in the program. Fishing opportunities are expected to improve as spring approaches.
For more information on the program and the rules, visit the Lake Trout Angler Harvest Program web page.
Anglers can find additional information on the Flaming Gorge Reservoir fishery, including tips, tactics, locations and recipes on the Flaming Gorge Reservoir Management page.
