When is cutthroat trout season in Wyoming?

Wyoming keeps cutthroat 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 cutthroat trout?

The Wyoming daily bag limit for cutthroat trout is 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed wild native cutthroat reaches (YNP + Yellowstone Lake + Snake + South Fork + Hoback + Greys + Salt + Wind River Range Colorado River cutthroat); 6 / day combined trout elsewhere. The possession limit is 12 in possession combined trout on harvest waters. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size cutthroat trout can you keep in Wyoming?

The Wyoming size rule for cutthroat trout is No statewide minimum; catch-and-release-only on listed reaches. Trophy rule: Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii behnkei) is endemic to the upper Snake River drainage in Wyoming — found nowhere else in the world — making the Snake + South Fork + Hoback + Greys + Salt River drainage the only place on Earth where anglers can catch this distinct native cutthroat subspecies; Yellowstone Lake country's premier native Yellowstone cutthroat fishery (NPS aggressive lake trout suppression ~400,000 removed annually); WGFD Species of Special Concern protection on Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat — 0 / day catch-and-release-only with barbless single hook + artificial lure / fly only on listed wild-trout reaches statewide.

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

Yes. Wyoming requires a valid fishing license to fish for cutthroat 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 cutthroat trout in Wyoming?

Yes. In Wyoming, cutthroat trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed wild-trout reaches; Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on Snake + South Fork + Hoback + Greys + Salt + listed YNP catch-and-release reaches; Live bait prohibited on most native cutthroat waters; Federal NPS regulations supersede on YNP (NPS Yellowstone NP Fishing Permit required — $40 3-day / $55 7-day / $75 season); 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 District-by-District wild-trout reach + season list.

Do specific Wyoming waters have different cutthroat trout rules?

Yes. 6 named Wyoming waters carry rules that override the statewide cutthroat trout regulation, including Yellowstone Lake, Snake River main stem, South Fork Snake River, and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

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

Oncorhynchus clarkii

Last updated May 27, 2026

Wyoming cutthroat trout fishery is the country's most concentrated native cutthroat trout system — four distinct native cutthroat subspecies inhabit Wyoming waters on separate drainages: Yellowstone cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri) in Yellowstone Lake + the Yellowstone River drainage inside YNP + the upper Yellowstone tributaries; Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarkii behnkei — endemic to upper Snake River drainage in Wyoming, found nowhere else in the world) in the Snake River main stem + South Fork Snake + Hoback + Greys + Salt River drainage in Jackson Hole + Lincoln County SW WY; Bonneville cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah) in the Bear River drainage in Lincoln + Uinta Counties SW WY (the Bonneville cutthroat is shared with Idaho + Utah's Bear Lake fishery); Colorado River cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus) in the Green River + Wind River Range high-altitude alpine lake system + listed western WY drainages. WGFD-managed aggressive native cutthroat protection: Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat is a WGFD Species of Special Concern — 0 / day catch-and-release-only on the Snake + South Fork + Hoback + Greys + Salt River wild-trout reaches with barbless single hook + artificial lure / fly only. Yellowstone Lake (132 sq mi natural lake inside YNP at 7,732 ft elevation — country's largest natural lake above 7,000 ft + country's premier native Yellowstone cutthroat trout fishery) is administered under federal NPS jurisdiction — NPS-aggressive lake trout suppression program removes ~400,000 lake trout annually via NPS contract gillnetting to protect the native Yellowstone cutthroat population (which collapsed 90 percent after illegal lake trout introduction in 1994; NPS suppression has begun stabilising the cutthroat population since 2018). The Wind River Range (100-mile north-south range with ~1,300 high-altitude alpine lakes above 9,000 ft — country's most concentrated high-altitude trout lake system in the lower 48) carries native Colorado River cutthroat backcountry fishery in the Bridger-Teton + Shoshone National Forests. WGFD stocks the Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat + Bonneville cutthroat + Colorado River cutthroat conservation programs via Story Fish Hatchery + Auburn Fish Hatchery + Daniel Fish Hatchery to support native cutthroat restoration on listed reaches. Open year-round on most waters.

Compare cutthroat trout regulations across all states →

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round on most waters; YNP federal NPS overlay catch-and-release-only on Yellowstone Lake + park waters; listed Snake + South Fork + Hoback + Greys + Salt wild Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat reaches 0 / day catch-and-release-only; listed Wind River Range Colorado River cutthroat reaches 0 / day catch-and-release-only.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed wild native cutthroat reaches (YNP + Yellowstone Lake + Snake + South Fork + Hoback + Greys + Salt + Wind River Range Colorado River cutthroat); 6 / day combined trout elsewhere
Possession: 12 in possession combined trout on harvest waters

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide minimum; catch-and-release-only on listed reaches
Trophy rule: Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii behnkei) is endemic to the upper Snake River drainage in Wyoming — found nowhere else in the world — making the Snake + South Fork + Hoback + Greys + Salt River drainage the only place on Earth where anglers can catch this distinct native cutthroat subspecies; Yellowstone Lake country's premier native Yellowstone cutthroat fishery (NPS aggressive lake trout suppression ~400,000 removed annually); WGFD Species of Special Concern protection on Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat — 0 / day catch-and-release-only with barbless single hook + artificial lure / fly only on listed wild-trout reaches statewide

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed wild-trout reaches
Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on Snake + South Fork + Hoback + Greys + Salt + listed YNP catch-and-release reaches
Live bait prohibited on most native cutthroat waters
Federal NPS regulations supersede on YNP (NPS Yellowstone NP Fishing Permit required — $40 3-day / $55 7-day / $75 season)
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 District-by-District wild-trout reach + season list

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Wyoming waters:

Yellowstone Lake
Federal NPS jurisdiction — 0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY native Yellowstone cutthroat; NPS Yellowstone NP Fishing Permit required
Snake River main stem
0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat (WGFD Species of Special Concern — endemic to upper Snake drainage in WY)
South Fork Snake River
0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat; barbless single hook + artificial-only
Hoback River + Greys River + Salt River
0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat on listed wild-trout reaches
Wind River Range high-altitude alpine lakes
0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY native Colorado River cutthroat on listed wild-trout reaches; Bridger-Teton + Shoshone NF + Wind River Tribal Permit overlay
Bear River drainage
0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY native Bonneville cutthroat on listed wild-trout reaches

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

Cutthroat 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 cutthroat trout season in Wyoming?: Wyoming keeps cutthroat 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 cutthroat trout?: The Wyoming daily bag limit for cutthroat trout is 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed wild native cutthroat reaches (YNP + Yellowstone Lake + Snake + South Fork + Hoback + Greys + Salt + Wind River Range Colorado River cutthroat); 6 / day combined trout elsewhere. The possession limit is 12 in possession combined trout on harvest waters. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size cutthroat trout can you keep in Wyoming?: The Wyoming size rule for cutthroat trout is No statewide minimum; catch-and-release-only on listed reaches. Trophy rule: Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii behnkei) is endemic to the upper Snake River drainage in Wyoming — found nowhere else in the world — making the Snake + South Fork + Hoback + Greys + Salt River drainage the only place on Earth where anglers can catch this distinct native cutthroat subspecies; Yellowstone Lake country's premier native Yellowstone cutthroat fishery (NPS aggressive lake trout suppression ~400,000 removed annually); WGFD Species of Special Concern protection on Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat — 0 / day catch-and-release-only with barbless single hook + artificial lure / fly only on listed wild-trout reaches statewide.
Do you need a license to fish for cutthroat trout in Wyoming?: Yes. Wyoming requires a valid fishing license to fish for cutthroat 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 cutthroat trout in Wyoming?: Yes. In Wyoming, cutthroat trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed wild-trout reaches; Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on Snake + South Fork + Hoback + Greys + Salt + listed YNP catch-and-release reaches; Live bait prohibited on most native cutthroat waters; Federal NPS regulations supersede on YNP (NPS Yellowstone NP Fishing Permit required — $40 3-day / $55 7-day / $75 season); 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 District-by-District wild-trout reach + season list.
Do specific Wyoming waters have different cutthroat trout rules?: Yes. 6 named Wyoming waters carry rules that override the statewide cutthroat trout regulation, including Yellowstone Lake, Snake River main stem, South Fork Snake River, and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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