GILLETTE, Wyo. — In an attempt to cull small lake trout numbers, wildlife managers have removed game fish classifications for any lake trout 28 inches and under in Flaming Gorge Reservoir effective Oct. 1.
According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, any lake trout caught out of Flaming Gorge Reservoir 28 inches long or less will be classified as nongame fish, allowing unlimited harvest. Anglers will only be allowed to have one lake trout over 28 inches in their possession, and the creel limit for kokanee salmon will be reduced from four to three.
The changes were approved by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission in July following a public outreach campaign in which fisheries managers from Wyoming and Utah engaged with the angling public to address concerns about the fishery, per Game and Fish.
Utah managers continue to work through the rulemaking process, and any changes made on the Utah side of the reservoir won’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2025, Game and Fish says.
According to recent population studies, there are approximately 143,000 lake trout under 28 inches long in Flaming Gorge Reservoir — three times higher than population estimates completed in the 1980s, per Game and Fish.
The high number of small lake trout combined with their predatory nature poses a problem for wildlife managers’ efforts to stock kokanee salmon in Flaming Gorge Reservoir, according to Game and Fish, which says a biologist recently caught a 22-inch lake trout with over 50 kokanee salmon in its stomach.
“Because of the sheer number of small lake trout and their appetite for kokanee, it is imperative that as many small lake trout as possible are removed from the reservoir prior to kokanee stocking in the spring of 2025,” Game and Fish said. “The regulation changes will provide opportunities for anglers to improve the fishery and fill their freezers with tasty fish.”
Per Game and Fish, shortly after the new regulations go into effect, many small adult lake trout will be spawning in 10–70 feet of water over gravel or cobble slopes, mainly along the cliffs on the east side of the reservoir.
“These small adults are very vulnerable to anglers throwing one-quarter or three-eighth-ounce black, white, and luminescent grub body jigs,” Game and Fish said, adding that fisheries managers have put together resources to aid anglers in their success on the Flaming Gorge Management page.
