Wyoming ice fishing is a relatively simple hobby requiring a few special pieces of gear, patience and a love for the austere winter landscapes of the western state. Wyoming offers more than a half-year of winter, and months of ice, countless fish species, and more than 3,000 lakes, ponds and reservoirs.
Features
Fishing lakes in western Wyoming are home to mackinaw and German brown trout, rainbow trout, and freshwater salmon. In the east, trout is king, with rainbow, cutthroat, brook and brown varieties, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. You'll also hook the occasional walleye, yellow perch, channel catfish and smallmouth bass.
Time Frame
Wyoming is a wonderland with nine months of winter. Wyoming lakes are adequately frozen for ice fishing from late December to mid-March. January is Wyoming's coldest month, solidifying the state's largest lakes.
Safe fishing requires four inches of surface ice to support a person, and at least a foot to support a vehicle, according to the Wyoming Fish and Game Commission. Driving on a frozen lake, however, is discouraged.
Gear
Many Wyoming ice fishermen select a pole suitable for medium action, or for light action, when perch is the target, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. You'll need an ice auger to create a fishing hole, live bait or synthetic lures, a scoop to "dig" ice from the hole, and cleats to keep from wiping out and landing flat on the rock-hard ice.
Warning
If you're walking on the ice, watch out for wet areas, open waters, or patches where rising reservoir levels may have thinned the ice from underneath. Ice conditions can change from day to day. It's safest to call local authorities to confirm conditions, or to drill test holes, according to the state Game and Fish Commission. You should fish with a friend and wear a life jacket. Extra clothes, blankets and hot liquids are also mandatory.
Regulations
Residents and non-residents ages 14 and older are required to have a state-issued fishing license. Fishing is permitted in Wyoming year-round, 24 hours a day. While it's legal to "float through" private land, fishermen and boaters can only get out of the boat on private lakes if they have the "explicit permission of the landowner."
Any waters that have an open season are also open to ice fishing. A few waters are closed seasonally and they're listed in the state's regulations.
References
- Wyoming Ice Fishing: Pinedale Wyoming webpage
- Wyoming Game and Fish Commission: Wyoming Fishing Regulations webpage
- "Wyoming Tribune Eagle Online"; Ice Fishing 101; Shauna Stephenson; January, 2010.
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department: Frequently Asked Questions website
- Fishing Works: Wyoming Fishing Lakes website
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