2026 regulation year
Yellowstone National Park overlay 2026 — Wyoming Fishing Regulations
Wyoming statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Yellowstone National Park overlay carries a special-regulation overlay on top of Wyoming's 2026 fishing rules. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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State-level special regulation
Federal NPS jurisdiction overlay — NPS Yellowstone NP Fishing Permit required ($40 3-day / $55 7-day / $75 season) — WGFD license valid only on YNP-boundary waters with Wyoming; native Yellowstone cutthroat 0 / day catch-and-release-only; lake trout (Mackinaw) NO DAILY BAG LIMIT on Yellowstone + Lewis + Heart Lakes (NPS suppression); brown + brook trout 5 / day combined on most YNP waters; barbless single hook + artificial-only on all park waters
Source: Wyoming special-water list
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 Lake tailwater on the Bighorn River
- 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
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Yellowstone National Park overlay?
- Yellowstone National Park overlay carries one special-regulation overlay that overrides Wyoming's statewide 2026 rules. It reads: "Federal NPS jurisdiction overlay — NPS Yellowstone NP Fishing Permit required ($40 3-day / $55 7-day / $75 season) — WGFD license valid only on YNP-boundary waters with Wyoming; native Yellowstone cutthroat 0 / day catch-and-release-only; lake trout (Mackinaw) NO DAILY BAG LIMIT on Yellowstone + Lewis + Heart Lakes (NPS suppression); brown + brook trout 5 / day combined on most YNP waters; barbless single hook + artificial-only on all park waters." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Yellowstone National Park overlay?
- Yes. Yellowstone National Park overlay 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 Yellowstone NP overlay; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Wyoming rules.
- Do Yellowstone National Park overlay's special rules replace Wyoming's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Wyoming's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Yellowstone NP overlay by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rule 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.