When is yellow perch season in Wyoming?

Wyoming keeps yellow perch 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 yellow perch?

The Wyoming daily bag limit for yellow perch is 50 / day in combination with other panfish (yellow perch + crappie + bluegill + pumpkinseed + green sunfish + rock bass + black bullhead + stonecat + freshwater drum). The possession limit is Twice the daily creel limit (up to 100 in combination on most waters). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size yellow perch can you keep in Wyoming?

The Wyoming size rule for yellow perch is No statewide minimum. Trophy rule: Boysen Reservoir is Wyoming's flagship perch water — famous for jumbo 10-13 in perch that draw winter ice-anglers from across the region; the Bighorn + North Platte reservoir chains (Boysen + Glendo + Seminoe + Pathfinder + Keyhole) carry the densest perch + walleye fishery in the state; WGFD's 50 / day combined-panfish limit is one of the country's higher panfish allowances, reflecting perch abundance in WY's productive reservoirs.

Do you need a license to fish for yellow perch in Wyoming?

Yes. Wyoming requires a valid fishing license to fish for yellow perch, 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 yellow perch in Wyoming?

Yes. In Wyoming, yellow perch fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; ice-fishing with jigging spoons + tungsten jigs tipped with perch eye / wax worm is the standard winter method; Tip-ups + multiple lines permitted on most ice-fishing waters per WGFD line regulations; 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 panfish limits + ice-fishing line allowances.

Do specific Wyoming waters have different yellow perch rules?

Yes. 5 named Wyoming waters carry rules that override the statewide yellow perch regulation, including Boysen Reservoir, Glendo Reservoir, Seminoe Reservoir, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Wyoming Yellow perch 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Perca flavescens

Last updated May 30, 2026

Wyoming yellow perch fishery is anchored by the state's large walleye reservoirs, where perch are both a primary forage base and a popular panfish target — Boysen Reservoir (19,560-acre Bighorn River headwaters reservoir — Fremont County — Wyoming's flagship perch + walleye fishery, famous for jumbo 10-13 in perch) + Glendo Reservoir (Platte County) + Seminoe Reservoir (Carbon County) + Pathfinder Reservoir (Natrona + Carbon Counties) + Keyhole Reservoir (Crook County) + Ocean Lake (Fremont County) all carry strong perch populations. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) are a cool-water schooling panfish with vertical olive-and-gold barred flanks and bright orange lower fins — they school by size class and feed actively through the ice, making Wyoming's perch reservoirs a premier December – February ice-fishing destination. WGFD manages perch under a distinctive liberalized creel: 50 / day in combination with other panfish (crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, rock bass, black bullhead, stonecat + freshwater drum) — one of the country's higher panfish bag limits, alongside the high perch limits in North Dakota + South Dakota + the Great Lakes states — reflecting the abundance of perch in WY's productive reservoirs. Boysen jumbo perch run 10-13 in and draw winter ice-anglers from across the region; the densest perch + walleye reservoir fishery in the state sits on the Bighorn + North Platte reservoir chains. Open year-round statewide; the ice-fishing window December – February is the densest perch fishing of the year.

Compare yellow perch regulations across all states →

Get change alerts

Watch Wyoming Yellow perch and we'll email you when a season, bag limit, slot, or closure changes. Free while in beta.

Season

Open year-round Open year-round statewide; densest December – February ice-fishing window on Boysen + Glendo + Seminoe + Pathfinder + Keyhole + Ocean Lake; spring open-water perch fishing peaks April – May during the pre-spawn shoreline movement.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 50 / day in combination with other panfish (yellow perch + crappie + bluegill + pumpkinseed + green sunfish + rock bass + black bullhead + stonecat + freshwater drum)
Possession: Twice the daily creel limit (up to 100 in combination on most waters)

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide minimum
Trophy rule: Boysen Reservoir is Wyoming's flagship perch water — famous for jumbo 10-13 in perch that draw winter ice-anglers from across the region; the Bighorn + North Platte reservoir chains (Boysen + Glendo + Seminoe + Pathfinder + Keyhole) carry the densest perch + walleye fishery in the state; WGFD's 50 / day combined-panfish limit is one of the country's higher panfish allowances, reflecting perch abundance in WY's productive reservoirs

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; ice-fishing with jigging spoons + tungsten jigs tipped with perch eye / wax worm is the standard winter method
Tip-ups + multiple lines permitted on most ice-fishing waters per WGFD line regulations
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 panfish limits + ice-fishing line allowances

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Wyoming waters:

Boysen Reservoir
50 / day combined panfish; Wyoming's flagship perch fishery — jumbo 10-13 in perch; premier December – February ice-fishing destination alongside the walleye fishery
Glendo Reservoir
50 / day combined panfish; strong perch population alongside walleye + smallmouth bass
Seminoe Reservoir
50 / day combined panfish; perch forage base for the walleye + trout fishery
Keyhole Reservoir
50 / day combined panfish; perch alongside walleye + smallmouth bass + northern pike
Ocean Lake
50 / day combined panfish; Fremont County perch + walleye fishery near Riverton

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

Yellow perch 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 yellow perch season in Wyoming?: Wyoming keeps yellow perch 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 yellow perch?: The Wyoming daily bag limit for yellow perch is 50 / day in combination with other panfish (yellow perch + crappie + bluegill + pumpkinseed + green sunfish + rock bass + black bullhead + stonecat + freshwater drum). The possession limit is Twice the daily creel limit (up to 100 in combination on most waters). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size yellow perch can you keep in Wyoming?: The Wyoming size rule for yellow perch is No statewide minimum. Trophy rule: Boysen Reservoir is Wyoming's flagship perch water — famous for jumbo 10-13 in perch that draw winter ice-anglers from across the region; the Bighorn + North Platte reservoir chains (Boysen + Glendo + Seminoe + Pathfinder + Keyhole) carry the densest perch + walleye fishery in the state; WGFD's 50 / day combined-panfish limit is one of the country's higher panfish allowances, reflecting perch abundance in WY's productive reservoirs.
Do you need a license to fish for yellow perch in Wyoming?: Yes. Wyoming requires a valid fishing license to fish for yellow perch, 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 yellow perch in Wyoming?: Yes. In Wyoming, yellow perch fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; ice-fishing with jigging spoons + tungsten jigs tipped with perch eye / wax worm is the standard winter method; Tip-ups + multiple lines permitted on most ice-fishing waters per WGFD line regulations; 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 panfish limits + ice-fishing line allowances.
Do specific Wyoming waters have different yellow perch rules?: Yes. 5 named Wyoming waters carry rules that override the statewide yellow perch regulation, including Boysen Reservoir, Glendo Reservoir, Seminoe Reservoir, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

← Back to Wyoming regulations overview