2026 regulation year
Bighorn Lake tailwater on the Bighorn River 2026 — Wyoming Fishing Regulations
Wyoming statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Bighorn Lake tailwater on the Bighorn River carries 2 special-regulation overlays on top of Wyoming's 2026 fishing rules — covering Rainbow trout, Brown trout. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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Per-species rules on Bighorn Lake tailwater on the Bighorn River
Trout 6 / day combined; MT/WY joint reciprocal compact on the boundary reservoir
Trout 6 / day combined; MT/WY joint reciprocal compact on the boundary reservoir; wild brown trout to 8+ lb on the WY-portion of the tailwater
Official source
Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) publishes the authoritative 2026 Wyoming fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official Wyoming fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Wyoming Game and Fish Department's emergency-order feed — check it before any Wyoming trip during the active season.
Other special-regulation waters in Wyoming
- Bear River drainage
- Bighorn Lake / Yellowtail Reservoir
- Bighorn Mountains high lakes
- Boysen Reservoir
- Buffalo Bill Reservoir
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir
- Fremont Lake
- Glendo Reservoir
- Grand Teton National Park
- Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam
- Grey Reef tailwater on the North Platte River
- Headwater streams statewide
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Bighorn Lake tailwater on the Bighorn River?
- Bighorn Lake tailwater on the Bighorn River carries 2 special-regulation overlays that override Wyoming's statewide 2026 rules, covering Rainbow trout and Brown trout. One of them reads: "Trout 6 / day combined; MT/WY joint reciprocal compact on the boundary reservoir." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Bighorn Lake tailwater on the Bighorn River?
- Yes. Bighorn Lake tailwater on the Bighorn River is in Wyoming, so a valid Wyoming fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD). The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Bighorn tailwater; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Wyoming rules.
- Do Bighorn Lake tailwater on the Bighorn River's special rules replace Wyoming's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Wyoming's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Bighorn tailwater by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rules for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on Bighorn tailwater?
- Rainbow trout and Brown trout have a water-body-specific rule on Bighorn Lake tailwater on the Bighorn River, each linking to its full Wyoming regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Wyoming limits.