Fishing pros are applauding a first-of-its kind request from Wyoming Game and Fish to pause afternoon fishing on the Snake River and Flat Creek as of July 29.
“It’s scary because it’s foreign territory and it’s happening now in our backyard,” said Mike Dawkins, president of WorldCast Anglers. “[But] this isn’t the apocalypse […] it’s better for our trout friends and our sustainability.”
The move comes amid a particularly hot summer, following a record-warm winter in Wyoming. Warm water carries less dissolved oxygen and can be dangerous for fish, especially after being exhausted from a fight with a fishhook.
The department’s voluntary closure aims to reduce the stress on the river dwellers during the hottest time of the day. The department has never placed a full closure on the Snake River, but regularly asks that anglers ease off fishing during hot periods on shallower creeks.
“It amounts to a final warning,” said Darren Rhea, Game and Fish’s Jackson regional fisheries supervisor. “If people behave accordingly and practice good ethics […] we can avoid a closure.”
Rhea said the recommendation could last through August.
When the closure came last week, it wasn’t a surprise to Dawkins. He anticipated the recommendation after his guides reported higher-than-advised temps in early July.
“It was just a matter of time from our perspective,” he said.
Voluntary closures are continuing to be issued across Wyoming. Game and Fish recommended a full closure on part of the Bighorn River, near Thermopolis on Aug. 3.
In recent history, such voluntary closures have been rare, said Game and Fish spokesperson Raegin Akhtar. “Although every summer, we do a lot of messaging around best practices for fishing in the heat,’ she said.
Jean Bruun, outfitter with Wyoming Angling Company, said she’s “really happy” about the warning to anglers. But, she said, the state could go further.
In the last few summers, Bruun said her thermometer regularly reads water temps above the state’s recommendation. As waters warm year-over-year due to climate change, Bruun would like to see restrictions similar to Montana’s“hoot owl” requirements, which prohibit fishing in certain spots each day between 2 p.m. and midnight.
Voluntary closures are “not anything that will be unique this year,” Bruun said. “I think it’s going to be a new norm in certain years, especially during a drought year.”
Rhea similarly thinks voluntary closures would become more common, but he’s optimistic that ichthyic enthusiasts will heed the warning.
“The majority of folks here, they’re really engaged,” he said. “They appreciate the resource, and they don’t want to impact it.”
The state will monitor for signs of fish mortality and keep a close eye on afternoon rods, he said.
At worst in the short-term, Dawkins expects retail for his Victor, Idaho, company to take a hit. But long-term, the need for the closure signals that warmth common in lower-elevations have crept into the headwaters.
“I think that is the bigger picture piece that really worries people,” he said.
For now, Dawkins said he hasn’t heard much push-back from clients averse to early wakeups. Low-light fishing is the most productive time for casters anyway, he said.
“You need to be out there early if you want to catch fish,” Dawkins said.
Bruun agreed.
“We need to be good stewards of our environment. We need to know when to say ‘No,’” she said.
