When is brook trout season in Wyoming?

Wyoming keeps brook trout open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What is the Wyoming bag limit for brook trout?

The Wyoming daily bag limit for brook trout is 16 / day statewide (WGFD-distinctive liberalized limit, separate from the 6 / day combined trout limit) — set to reduce stunting in overpopulated high-mountain lakes; liberalized further on listed high-mountain lakes under area regulations. The possession limit is Twice the daily creel limit (up to 32 on most waters). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size brook trout can you keep in Wyoming?

The Wyoming size rule for brook trout is No statewide minimum. Trophy rule: The Wind River Range (~1,300 alpine lakes above 9,000 ft) is the country's most concentrated high-altitude brook trout backcountry fishery; while most high-lake brook trout run 6-10 in, the larger Bighorn + Snowy Range + remote Wind River lakes produce occasional 14-16 in trophy brook trout where forage and depth allow; WGFD's 16 / day liberalized limit (one of the country's highest brook trout creel allowances) is a deliberate stunting-control tool, not a sign of a weak fishery.

Do you need a license to fish for brook trout in Wyoming?

Yes. Wyoming requires a valid fishing license to fish for brook trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Wyoming license — compare resident and non-resident Wyoming fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for brook trout in Wyoming?

Yes. In Wyoming, brook trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; fly-fishing is the standard high-lake method; bait permitted on most brook trout waters (live baitfish prohibited statewide); Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on listed wild-trout reaches that overlap brook trout range; Conservation Stamp + Fishing License required ages 14+ ($21.50 res Conservation Stamp + $27 res annual fishing / $21.50 NR Conservation Stamp + $102 NR annual fishing); Confirm current-year WGFD Fishing Regulations for water-specific brook trout limits + Wind River Indian Reservation tribal-permit requirements.

Do specific Wyoming waters have different brook trout rules?

Yes. 4 named Wyoming waters carry rules that override the statewide brook trout regulation, including Wind River alpine lakes, Snowy Range lakes, Bighorn Mountains high lakes, and 1 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Wyoming Brook trout 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Salvelinus fontinalis

Last updated May 30, 2026

Wyoming brook trout fishery is the country's most concentrated high-altitude backcountry brook trout system — the Wind River Range (100-mile north-south range with ~1,300 high-altitude alpine lakes above 9,000 ft in the Bridger-Teton + Shoshone National Forests + Wind River Indian Reservation) carries the densest alpine-lake brook trout fishery in the lower 48, alongside the Bighorn Mountains, the Snowy Range (Medicine Bow National Forest), the Wyoming Range, and the high lakes of the Absaroka + Teton ranges. Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis — a char native to the eastern US, not a true trout) were introduced to Wyoming's high country in the early 20th century and now self-sustain prolifically in cold, infertile alpine lakes and headwater streams — so prolifically that they overpopulate and stunt, producing thousands of small 6-10 in fish. To counter this, WGFD sets a distinctive liberalized brook trout creel limit of 16 / day statewide — separate from and far more generous than the 6 / day combined trout limit that governs rainbow, brown, cutthroat, golden + lake trout — explicitly to encourage harvest and reduce stunting in overpopulated waters. On many high-mountain lakes the brook trout limit is liberalized further still under the area regulations. The general trout limit is 6 / day on lakes and 3 / day on streams (no more than one trout over 16 in on streams), but brook trout carry their own 16 / day allowance on most waters. Brook trout turn vivid orange-bellied with white-edged fins during the autumn spawn (September – October), when the high-lake fishery peaks before ice-up. Open year-round on most waters; many high-elevation lakes are ice-locked October – June and fished primarily July – September.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round on most waters; high-elevation Wind River Range + Bighorn + Snowy Range alpine lakes fished primarily July – September (ice-locked October – June); autumn spawn September – October peaks the high-lake fishery; 16 / day liberalized statewide limit to reduce stunting.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 16 / day statewide (WGFD-distinctive liberalized limit, separate from the 6 / day combined trout limit) — set to reduce stunting in overpopulated high-mountain lakes; liberalized further on listed high-mountain lakes under area regulations
Possession: Twice the daily creel limit (up to 32 on most waters)

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide minimum
Trophy rule: The Wind River Range (~1,300 alpine lakes above 9,000 ft) is the country's most concentrated high-altitude brook trout backcountry fishery; while most high-lake brook trout run 6-10 in, the larger Bighorn + Snowy Range + remote Wind River lakes produce occasional 14-16 in trophy brook trout where forage and depth allow; WGFD's 16 / day liberalized limit (one of the country's highest brook trout creel allowances) is a deliberate stunting-control tool, not a sign of a weak fishery

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; fly-fishing is the standard high-lake method; bait permitted on most brook trout waters (live baitfish prohibited statewide)
Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on listed wild-trout reaches that overlap brook trout range
Conservation Stamp + Fishing License required ages 14+ ($21.50 res Conservation Stamp + $27 res annual fishing / $21.50 NR Conservation Stamp + $102 NR annual fishing)
Confirm current-year WGFD Fishing Regulations for water-specific brook trout limits + Wind River Indian Reservation tribal-permit requirements

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Wyoming waters:

Wind River Range high-altitude alpine lakes
16 / day (often liberalized further under area regulations); densest alpine-lake brook trout fishery in the lower 48; Bridger-Teton + Shoshone NF + Wind River Indian Reservation tribal-permit overlay
Snowy Range high lakes (Medicine Bow NF)
16 / day; popular drive-to high-lake brook trout fishery in SE WY
Bighorn Mountains high lakes
16 / day; high-altitude brook trout alongside cutthroat + golden trout
Headwater streams statewide
Stream trout limit 3 / day (no more than 1 trout over 16 in), but brook trout carry the 16 / day allowance on most waters

Official source

Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) publishes the authoritative 2026 Wyomingfishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

Visit official Wyoming fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Brook trout closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Wyoming Game and Fish Department's emergency-order feed — check it before any Wyoming trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is brook trout season in Wyoming?: Wyoming keeps brook trout open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the Wyoming bag limit for brook trout?: The Wyoming daily bag limit for brook trout is 16 / day statewide (WGFD-distinctive liberalized limit, separate from the 6 / day combined trout limit) — set to reduce stunting in overpopulated high-mountain lakes; liberalized further on listed high-mountain lakes under area regulations. The possession limit is Twice the daily creel limit (up to 32 on most waters). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size brook trout can you keep in Wyoming?: The Wyoming size rule for brook trout is No statewide minimum. Trophy rule: The Wind River Range (~1,300 alpine lakes above 9,000 ft) is the country's most concentrated high-altitude brook trout backcountry fishery; while most high-lake brook trout run 6-10 in, the larger Bighorn + Snowy Range + remote Wind River lakes produce occasional 14-16 in trophy brook trout where forage and depth allow; WGFD's 16 / day liberalized limit (one of the country's highest brook trout creel allowances) is a deliberate stunting-control tool, not a sign of a weak fishery.
Do you need a license to fish for brook trout in Wyoming?: Yes. Wyoming requires a valid fishing license to fish for brook trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Wyoming license — compare resident and non-resident Wyoming fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for brook trout in Wyoming?: Yes. In Wyoming, brook trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; fly-fishing is the standard high-lake method; bait permitted on most brook trout waters (live baitfish prohibited statewide); Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on listed wild-trout reaches that overlap brook trout range; Conservation Stamp + Fishing License required ages 14+ ($21.50 res Conservation Stamp + $27 res annual fishing / $21.50 NR Conservation Stamp + $102 NR annual fishing); Confirm current-year WGFD Fishing Regulations for water-specific brook trout limits + Wind River Indian Reservation tribal-permit requirements.
Do specific Wyoming waters have different brook trout rules?: Yes. 4 named Wyoming waters carry rules that override the statewide brook trout regulation, including Wind River alpine lakes, Snowy Range lakes, Bighorn Mountains high lakes, and 1 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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