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Wyoming › Fishing › Area 3 Regulations

Area 3 Regulations

Area 3 means the Niobrara River, Cheyenne River, Stockade-Beaver Creek, Sand Creek, Belle Fourche River, Little Missouri River, Little Powder River, Powder River, Tongue River, and Little Bighorn River drainages. Fishing is permitted as described on Statewide Creel Limits and Statewide Regulations except as otherwise specified in this section:

Category

Creel and Possession Limits

Trout (in combination includes brown, cutthroat, grayling, golden, rainbow, salmon, tiger trout, and other trout hybrids). Excludes brook trout, lake trout and splake.

All lakes within Area 3, unless indicated otherwise: six (6)

All streams within Area 3, unless indicated otherwise: six (6)

TOTAL STREAMS AND LAKES COMBINED: six (6)

Northern pike

All waters within Area 3, with the exception of waters within Keyhole State Park: Nongame fish, unlimited harvest. Must be killed immediately.
  1. Black Elk Pond in Weston County.
    • Watercraft prohibited.
  2. Black Hills Power and Light Osage Pond in Weston County.
    • Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
  3. Bull Creek in Sheridan County.
    • All trout shall be released to the water immediately.
    • Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
  4. Cook Lake in Crook County.
    • Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
  5. Gillette Fishing Lake in Campbell County.
    • Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
  6. Healy Reservoir in Johnson County.
    • The use of a motor in excess of fifteen (15) horsepower prohibited.
  7. Keyhole Reservoir, all waters within the boundaries of Keyhole State Park in Crook County.
    • The creel limit on northern pike shall be three (3) per day or in possession. All northern pike less than thirty (30) inches in length shall be released to the water immediately.
  8. Kleenburn Ponds in Sheridan County.
    • Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
  9. Middle Fork of Powder River, from Bachaus Creek downstream to the Bar C Road (Johnson County Road 238) on the Bar C Ranch in Johnson County.
    • The creel limit on trout shall be three (3) per day or in possession. No more than one (1) trout shall exceed sixteen (16) inches.
  10. Muddy Guard Reservoir No. 1 in Johnson County.
    • The creel limit on trout shall be one (1) per day or in possession. All trout less than twenty (20) inches shall be released to the water immediately.
    • Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
  11. Muddy Guard Reservoirs in Johnson County.
    • The use of a motor in excess of fifteen (15) horsepower prohibited.
  12. North Sayles Reservoir #1 (on Bud Love WHMA) in Johnson County.
    • The creel limit on trout shall be one (1) per day or in possession.
    • All trout less than twenty (20) inches shall be released to the water immediately.
    • Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
  13. North Tongue River drainage upstream of U.S. Forest Service Road 15 (Burgess Road) in Sheridan County.
    • All trout shall be released to the water immediately.
    • Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
  14. Park Reservoir in Johnson and Sheridan counties.
    • The use of a motor in excess of fifteen (15) horsepower prohibited.
  15. Ranchester City Reservoir in Sheridan County.
    • Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
  16. Sand Creek, from the Black Hills National Forest boundary downstream through the Ranch A property (Wyoming State Trust Land) in Crook County.
    • Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
  17. Sibley Lake in Sheridan County.
    • Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
  18. Tongue River drainage lakes and streams in Area 3 in Johnson and Sheridan counties.
    • All walleye and sauger shall be kept whole (gills and entrails may be removed) until the angler is off the water or ice and done fishing for the day. Once off the water or ice and done fishing for the day, walleye and sauger can be filleted for transportation and storage. A piece of skin large enough to allow species identification (at least one (1) inch square) shall remain on all fish fillets while in transit or in the field.
  19. Tie Hack Reservoir in Johnson County.
    • Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.

Other Area 3 Regulations

Area 3 Live Baitfish

The use or possession of live baitfish in Area 3 is prohibited except as otherwise specified in this section:

Area 3 Live Baitfish Location A

Live baitfish may be used for bait in the waters listed in subsection (i) provided the baitfish are obtained from a licensed live baitfish dealer authorized to sell baitfish for use in these waters or the baitfish were seined or trapped from the waters listed below in subsection (ii). Live baitfish restricted to use in location A shall not be transported out of the designated wild caught live baitfish possession area defined in subsection (iii).

(i) Live baitfish may be used in the following waters: Keyhole Reservoir; and, Belle Fourche River proper.

(ii) A holder of a valid seining license may seine, net, trap or spear baitfish from the following waters: Keyhole Reservoir; and, Belle Fourche River drainage.

(iii) The designated wild caught live baitfish possession area for location A is the Belle Fourche River drainage and the Little Powder River drainage upstream of the confluence of Cottonwood Creek in Campbell County.

Area 3 Live Baitfish Location B

Live baitfish may be used for bait in the waters listed in subsection (i), provided the baitfish are obtained from a licensed live baitfish dealer authorized to sell commercially produced live baitfish as described in the live baitfish dealer regulations at https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Fishing-and-Boating/Forms-and-Applications.

(i) Commercially produced live baitfish may be used in the following waters: Lake DeSmet; Healy Reservoir in Johnson County; and, LAK Reservoir.

Area 3 Live Baitfish Location C

The use or possession of live baitfish in Area 3C is prohibited. A holder of a valid seining license may seine, net, trap or spear baitfish in the Tongue River and Goose Creek (Sheridan and Johnson counties) drainages upstream of the Wyoming-Montana state line. Any live baitfish captured shall be killed immediately and used only as dead bait.

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