Fishing

 

Lake Solitude Fishing

NPS/D. Lehle

 

Many visitors are lured to Grand Teton to experience one of the park’s most popular activities—Fishing. A day of fishing is hallmarked by mountain views, cool waters, and (hopefully) a catch or two. Fishing in Grand Teton is an unforgettable experience here is what you need to know before you go.

Fishing is regulated according to Wyoming state laws and a Wyoming fishing license is required. Licenses may be purchased in the park at Flagg Ranch, Colter Bay Marina, Signal Mountain Lodge, or online. Licenses are also available for purchase in the local community at a variety of locations.

For more information visit the Wyoming Game and Fish website at Wyoming Game and Fish Department - Fishing and Boating

Season Dates

• Lakes: Lakes within Grand Teton National Park are open to fishing year-round with the following exceptions:
  • Jackson Lake: Closed to fishing October 1-31.
• Rivers and Streams: All cutthroat trout caught in the Snake River must be released to the water immediately from November 1-March 31.
  • Seasonal Closures:
    • December 15-March 31: A section of the Snake River is closed to access from the Buffalo Fork confluence at Moran to Menors Ferry at Moose. The Buffalo Fork is closed from the east park boundary to the Snake River Confluence in Moran.
    • December 1-July 31: All streams and Blacktail Spring Ponds within Grand Teton National Park are closed to access; excluding Polecat Creek, Buffalo Fork River, Pacific Creek, Gros Ventre River, and Snake River in Teton County.

 

Angler fishes the Snake River at the Jackson Lake Dam

NPS Photo/C. Adams

Legal Tackle

Two rods or poles may be used with the angler in attendance. Each line may have no more than three single or treble hooks, flies, or lures attached.

Flies, Lures, and Bait:

• Rivers and Streams: Only artificial flies and lures may be used in the Snake River from the gauging station (1,000ft below Jackson Lake Dam) to the Wyoming Highway 22 Bridge (Wilson Bridge) and all streams; excluding the Buffalo Fork, Gros Ventre River, Pacific Creek, Polecat Creek, and the Snake River upstream of Jackson Lake.

• Lakes: On lakes not otherwise restricted to fishing or artificial flies and lures only; the following dead, non-game fish may be used or posessed as bait: redside shiner, speckled dace, longnose dace, Paiute sculpin, mottled sculpin, Utah chub, Utah sucker, and commercially preserved dead baitfish.

Creel and Size Limits

• Lakes in Grand Teton National Park: Six (6) trout* per day or in possession, no more than three (3) shall be cutthroat trout; and no more than one (1) cutthroat trout shall exceed twelve (12) inches.
• Streams in Grand Teton National Park: Three (3) trout*, no more than one (1) shall exceed sixteen (16) inches; and no more than one (1) cutthroat trout shall exceed twelve (12) inches.
• In addition to the previous creel limits, anglers may also have in possession:
  • Brook Trout: sixteen (16)
  • Lake Trout: six (6), no more than one (1) shall exceed twenty-four (24) inches
  • Whitefish: twenty-five (25)

Any fish an angler chooses to to release must be carefully and immediately returned to the water from which it was taken.

*Trout = excludes brook and lake trout

 

Water temperatures are just one stress that affects fish behavior.

NPS Graphic

Water Temperatures

Temperature is one of many stressors that affect fish behavior and survival. Fish, like most animals, have preferred temperatures. When exposed to extremes outside their preferred zones, it can be stressful and make it harder for them to survive.

Anglers should be aware that adding stress to a fish already affected by unusually warm water temperatures may adversely impact the fish’s ability to survive. This is especially true in rivers and streams where thermal refuge may not be available.

 

Consumption Advisories

 

Fishing is allowed at Jackson Lake, but anglers should note consumption advisories.

NPS Photo/C. Adams

With your Wyoming fishing license, you are permitted to harvest fish, in accordance with creel limits, for consumption. Fish can be a healthy addition to one’s diet, but anglers should be aware that consumption advisories have been developed by Wyoming Game and Fish Department for the following species of fish in the park: cutthroat, brown, and lake trout as they may contain methyl mercury.

Mercury can build up in tissue over time and consuming too much can pose health risks. These advisories are in place to keep the consumption of mercury within safe levels.

The advisory includes information specific to sensitive individuals, which include women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers and children less than 15 years of age; as well as all other persons.

Advisory data is based on Wyoming Game and Fish Department tests to assess mercury levels in fish harvested from the Snake River and Jackson Lake. Each advisory provides specific fish consumption recommendations for fish from those waters.

• Snake River
• Jackson Lake

For other waters and fish in the park, we recommend following this FDA guidance on wild fish consumption:

It is recommended that women of childbearing age and young children avoid those species of fish and seafood known to contain high concentrations of mercury. For women and young children, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently recommend against eating any shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish, and also limiting consumption of albacore tuna to one meal per week.

Women and young children will receive the health benefits of eating fish without undue exposure to the harmful effects of mercury by eating up to 2 meals per week (A meal is 8 oz. of uncooked fish or 6 oz. of cooked fish) of a variety of fish and shell fish that are low in mercury. Some commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are Wyoming caught rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and kokanee and shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, Pollock and catfish from stores and restaurants. The 2 meals per week include fish from all sources, and should be the total of Wyoming caught fish and fish purchased at stores and restaurants.

Aquatic Invasive Species

PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES - CLEAN. DRAIN. DRY.

Aquatic invasive species (AIS), such as zebra or quagga mussels, Eurasian milfoil and curly pondweed, are a serious ecological and economic threat to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Boats, waders, and anything else that comes in contact with a body of water has the potential to spread non-native plants, pathogens, and other invasive species from one water body to another.

Never empty containers of bait, fish, plants, or animals into park waters.

Learn more about preventing the spread of AIS.

Concessioner Guided Fishing

River Fishing Trips
Grand Fishing Adventures: www.grandfishing.com
Grand Teton Fly Fishing: www.grandtetonflyfishing.com
Grand Teton Lodge Company: www.gtlc.com
Snake River Angler and Float Trips www.snakeriverangler.com
Triangle X Ranch/National Park Float Trips: www.trianglex.com
WorldCast Anglers: www.worldcastanglers.com
Lost Creek Ranch (Private Ranch, Fishing for Guests Only)

Lake Fishing Trips
Grand Teton Lodge Company: www.gtlc.com
Signal Mountain Lodge: www.signalmountainlodge.com

 

Additional Grand Teton Information