National Park & Tribal Fishing Licences 2026 — Where a State Licence Stops Working

Rule: A Yellowstone-issued National Park Service fishing permit is REQUIRED. No state fishing licence is valid inside park boundaries.

• Permits are sold by NPS at park entrances, visitor centers, and most park concessionaires. Children under a published age threshold fish free with a permitted adult.
• Regulations are park-specific — barbless artificial-only on many waters, native-species catch-and-release zones, and full-park ban on felt-soled wading boots to slow whirling-disease spread.
• Boundary waters bordering Wyoming, Montana, or Idaho revert to that state's licence the moment you cross out of the park.
• Yellowstone's regulations are updated annually; verify the current year before fishing.

Official source: www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/fishing.htm

Rule: Either a Tennessee OR a North Carolina state fishing licence is honored throughout the park's waters under a long-standing reciprocity arrangement — no separate park permit, but park-specific regulations override state regs where they differ.

• Park rules include single hook, artificial-only on most streams, and a 7-inch minimum on brook trout (above the NC state minimum).
• Possession limit is 5 fish total across brook, rainbow, and brown trout combined under park rules.
• Special regulation streams have C&R or fly-only restrictions — check the current park regulations card available at any ranger station.

Official source: www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fishing.htm

Rule: No park fishing permit required. Park-specific regulations apply on top of the Montana state fishing licence (where required) on the park's waters.

• Montana issues a free Glacier National Park conservation permit for residents and a separate non-resident fishing licence is NOT required for waters inside the park — but check the current park regulations for any specific waters that DO require state credentials.
• Park-specific rules: native-species catch-and-release on most lakes, no live bait, single barbless hook on listed cutthroat waters.
• The park's regulations are published annually by NPS Glacier — read them before launching any trip.

Official source: www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/fishing.htm

Rule: An Arizona state fishing licence is required for anyone 10 or older fishing the Colorado River and tributaries inside the park.

• The park does NOT sell its own fishing permit — Arizona Game & Fish credentials are the controlling document.
• Trout-stamp / two-pole add-ons follow Arizona state rules.
• Park entry fee is separate and required.
• Special regulations apply at Lees Ferry (artificial-only certain stretches, slot limits on rainbow trout).

Official source: www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/fishing.htm

Rule: A Maine state fishing licence is required for anyone 16 or older fishing freshwater inside the park. Saltwater anglers follow Maine's saltwater registration rules.

• No park-specific fishing permit; the Maine licence is the controlling document.
• Several ponds inside the park (e.g. Jordan Pond, Echo Lake) have stocked brook trout and brown trout with daily creel limits set under Maine inland fisheries rules.
• Bait restrictions on some ponds — verify current park regulations before fishing.

Official source: www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/fishing.htm

Rule: A Crow Tribe fishing permit is REQUIRED to fish reservation waters. A Montana state licence is NOT honored on tribal water.

• Permits are issued by the Crow Tribe Fish & Game Department in Crow Agency, MT.
• Bighorn Lake (Bighorn Canyon NRA) crosses the reservation boundary — the controlling licence depends on which side of the line you are casting from.
• Tribal permit fees, durations, and limits are set by the tribe and may change year to year. Always confirm before traveling.

Official source: www.crow-nsn.gov/fish-and-game.html

Rule: A Wind River Tribal fishing permit (Shoshone & Arapaho Joint Tribal Fish & Game) is REQUIRED. A Wyoming state licence is NOT honored on tribal water.

• Permits are issued by the Joint Tribal Fish & Game Department in Fort Washakie, WY.
• Reservation includes most of the upper Wind River drainage and the southern slope of the Wind River Range — including several high-country trout lakes that draw destination anglers.
• Some streams cross in and out of reservation boundaries; verify the line before fishing.

Official source: www.windriverfishandgame.com

Rule: A Navajo Nation fishing permit (issued by Navajo Nation Department of Fish & Wildlife) is REQUIRED. State licences (AZ, NM, UT) are NOT valid on Navajo Nation lakes.

• Permitted waters include Wheatfields Lake, Tsaile Lake, Pine Lake, Lake Many Farms, and others across the reservation in three states.
• Permit durations include 1-day, multi-day, and annual options sold by Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation outlets and online.
• Camping permits and reservation entry permits are issued separately from the fishing permit.

Official source: www.nndfw.org

Rule: A White Mountain Apache tribal fishing permit is REQUIRED. An Arizona state licence is NOT honored on the reservation.

• Permitted waters include Hawley Lake, Sunrise Lake, Christmas Tree Lake (special trophy rules), and several stream miles of the White and Black Rivers.
• Permits sold by the WMAT Game & Fish Department in Whiteriver, AZ and at licensed outdoor outfitters around the reservation.
• Some waters (Christmas Tree Lake, etc.) have additional special-use permits and reservation requirements on top of the base permit.

Official source: wmatoutdoor.org

Rule: Non-tribal-member anglers must purchase a Yakama Nation fishing permit to fish open reservation waters. Washington state licence is NOT valid on the reservation.

• A portion of the reservation is closed to non-tribal-member fishing entirely; only specifically opened waters may be fished by non-members under permit.
• Permits are issued through the Yakama Nation Fisheries Resource Management Program.
• Off-reservation treaty fishing rights for Yakama members are coordinated with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC).

Official source: yakamafish-nsn.gov

Rule: On National Forest land, the licence of the state in which the water sits is the controlling document — there is no Forest Service fishing permit.

• All National Forest waters defer to the state agency's fishing regulations: state season windows, state bag limits, state stamps.
• Site-specific use fees (boat launch, day-use parking) may apply at developed recreation sites — these are use fees, not fishing permits.
• Wilderness areas inside a National Forest may have additional restrictions on motorized boats, bait, or stocking — check the local Ranger District before a trip.

Official source: www.fs.usda.gov/visit/fishing

Rule: On BLM-managed public lands, the licence of the state in which the water sits is the controlling document — there is no BLM fishing permit.

• BLM lands sprawl across the western US: state fishing rules govern season, bag, possession, gear, and stamp requirements.
• Some BLM Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) and Wild & Scenic River corridors carry additional motorized-access or gear restrictions — check the local BLM Field Office.
• Camping and OHV permits are separate from fishing and follow BLM's own rules.

Official source: www.blm.gov/programs/recreation

Rule: On Corps reservoirs, the licence of the state where the reservoir sits governs fishing — there is no Corps fishing permit, but day-use, boat-launch, and camping fees may apply at developed sites.

• Corps reservoirs (Lake Texoma, Truman, Wappapello, Tenkiller, Sardis, J. Percy Priest, etc.) follow the host state's fishing rules.
• Multi-state Corps reservoirs that span a state line (Lake Texoma OK/TX is the classic example) have their own joint-licence arrangement issued by both states — check before crossing the line.
• Federal day-use and boat-launch fees may be discounted with the Interagency America the Beautiful pass.

Official source: www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation