Sixteen days after announcing its first-ever afternoon voluntary fishing closure for the Snake River and Flat Creek, Wyoming Game and Fish has lifted the warning.
That’s after last week’s southwest monsoon hit Jackson Hole with some much-needed rain and cooler temps.
Warm weather could return but that would likely be temporary, said Game and Fish Fisheries Supervisor Darren Rhea.
“Looking at current conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts indicate we’re in a pretty good position,” he said.
Stream temperatures in late July and early August well above normal, according to David Lee, Teton Conservation District’s water resources specialist.
Afternoon temperatures tend to drop in mid-to-late August, meaning water carries more dissolved oxygen, allowing fish to recover faster from being hooked.
While “hoot owl” laws in states like Montana mean anglers are accustomed to closures for their sport, this was as close as Wyoming has ever come to the same.
Rhea said reception was “really positive” to the state’s request to stop Snake angling after noon each day.
“I don’t recall even a single comment from anyone questioning it,” he said.
If anything, longtime area anglers asked the state for a hot water warning earlier in the year. A trend of warmer waters means that may happen next year.
Temporary full fishing closures on most rivers in Yellowstone National Park have also been lifted, besides those on the Madison, Gibbon, and Firehole Rivers.
