Area 2 Regulations
Area 2 means the Wind River, Bighorn River, Shoshone River, Clarks Fork and Yellowstone 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 2, unless indicated otherwise: six (6) All streams within Area 2, unless indicated otherwise: three (3) No more than one (1) trout shall exceed sixteen (16) inches. TOTAL STREAMS AND LAKES COMBINED: six (6) |
Northern pike* |
Nongame fish, unlimited harvest. Must be killed immediately. |
* Please promptly report any captured Northern pike by calling one of the Drainage Area 2 offices (see How to Find Regulations for Specific Waters). |
- Beck Lake Recreation Area including Beck Lake, New Cody Reservoir and Markham Reservoir in Park County
- Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
- Bighorn Lake downstream from the causeway (U.S. Highway 14A) in Big Horn County.
The creel and possession limits are as follows:
- Trout - five (5) fish per day, ten (10) fish in possession;
- Bass - ten (10) fish per day, twenty (20) in possession;
- Burbot (ling) - three (3) fish per day or in possession;
- Channel catfish - six (6) fish per day or in possession;
- Crappie - fifteen (15) per day, thirty (30) in possession.
- Walleye and sauger - six (6) fish per day no more than three (3) shall be sauger, twelve (12) fish in possession, no more than three (3) shall be sauger. All walleye and sauger must be kept whole (gills and entrails may be removed) until the angler is off the water or ice and done fishing for the day;
- Shovelnose sturgeon - two (2) fish per day or in possession; and,
- Other game species - no limit.
- Bighorn and Wind River drainage lakes and streams in Area 2 in Big Horn, Fremont, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie 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.
- Buffalo Bill Reservoir, excluding South Fork and Diamond Creek Dike Ponds in Park County.
- That portion lying west of a straight line connecting the mouths of Rattlesnake Creek and Sheep Creek (commonly known as Spring Creek) up the drainage to Gibbs Bridge is closed to fishing from April 1 through July 14.
- The creel limit on trout shall be three (3) per day or in possession. No more than two (2) shall be cutthroat trout; and, no more than one (1) trout shall exceed eighteen (18) inches.
- Walleye are designated as nongame fish.
- All walleye caught shall be killed immediately.
- Clarks Fork River proper from the Wyoming/Montana state line downstream to the Shoshone National Forest Boundary (at mouth of Clarks Fork River Canyon) in Park County.
- Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
- Deaver Reservoir in Park County.
- The creel limit of walleye shall be three (3) per day or in possession.
- The use of a motor in excess of fifteen (15) horsepower prohibited.
- East Fork of the Wind River drainage streams upstream from the confluence with the Wind River, including Bear Creek and Wiggins Fork, in Fremont County.
- All cutthroat trout shall be released to the water immediately.
- Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
- East Newton Lake in Park County.
- All trout and brook trout shall be released to the water immediately.
- Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
- The use of a motor in excess of fifteen (15) horsepower prohibited.
- Fiddlers Lake in Fremont County.
- Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
- Fish Lake in Fremont 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.
- Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
- Frye Lake in Fremont County.
- Use of personal watercraft is prohibited.
- Grace Lake in Big Horn County.
- The creel limit on brook trout shall be two (2) per day or in possession.
- Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
- Harrington Reservoir in Big Horn County.
- The use of a motor in excess of fifteen (15) horsepower prohibited.
- Lake Cameahwait (Bass Lake) in Fremont County.
- The creel limit on largemouth bass shall be two (2) per day or in possession. All bass between ten (10) and fifteen (15) inches (inclusive) shall be released to the water immediately; and, no more than one (1) bass shall exceed fifteen (15) inches.
- Lily Lake in Park County.
- The use of a motor in excess of fifteen (15) horsepower prohibited.
- Little Moose Lake in Park County.
- The creel limit on trout shall be two (2) per day or in possession.
- Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
- Louis Lake in Fremont County.
- Use of personal watercraft is prohibited.
- Luce Reservoir in Park County.
- All trout shall be released to the water immediately.
- Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
- Luckey Pond (Chittim Reservoir) in Fremont County.
- Closed to ice fishing. Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
- Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River from the “Rise” downstream to the Bridge on the Sinks Canyon Road in Fremont County.
- Closed to fishing throughout the calendar year.
- North Fork of the Shoshone River drainage from Newton Creek downstream to Gibbs Bridge (including Newton Creek) in Park County.
- Closed to fishing from April 1 through June 30.
- North Fork of the Shoshone River drainage upstream of Gibbs Bridge in Park County.
- The creel limit on trout shall be three (3) per day, or in possession. No more than two (2) shall be cutthroat trout; and, no more than one (1) trout shall exceed eighteen (18) inches.
- Nowood River drainage streams upstream from the confluence with the Bighorn River including Paintrock and Tensleep Creeks in Big Horn, Johnson, and Washakie counties.
- The creel limit on trout shall be six (6) per day, or in possession.
- Ocean Lake in Fremont County.
- Closed to human presence within 1/2 mile of aeration system from December 15 through March 10.
- Pelham Lake in Fremont County.
- The creel limit on trout shall be two (2) per day or in possession. All trout less than sixteen (16) inches shall be released to the water immediately.
- Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
- Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
- Pete’s Pond in Fremont County.
- The creel limit on trout shall be three (3) per day or in possession.
- Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
- Renner Reservoir in Big Horn County.
- The creel limit on largemouth bass shall be six (6) per day or in possession. No more than one (1) bass shall exceed twelve (12) inches.
- The use of a motor in excess of fifteen (15) horsepower prohibited.
- Shell Creek drainage streams upstream from the confluence with the Bighorn River in Big Horn County.
- The creel limit on trout shall be six (6) per day, or in possession.
- Sand Mesa Reservoirs No. 1 and 2 in Fremont County.
- Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
- Shoshone Lake and Shoshone Creek in Fremont County.
- Shoshone Creek upstream of Shoshone Lake is closed to fishing from September 1 through November 30.
- The creel limit on brook trout shall be six (6) per day or in possession.
- Shoshone River drainage streams from Buffalo Bill Dam downstream to Bighorn Lake in Big Horn and Park counties.
- The creel limit on trout shall be six (6) per day or in possession.
- No more than one (1) trout shall exceed sixteen (16) inches.
- South Worland Pond (also known as Golf Course Pond) in Washakie County.
- Use of motorized watercraft is prohibited.
- Swamp Lake in Park County.
- The creel limit on brook trout shall be two (2) per day or in possession.
- Fishing is permitted by the use of artificial flies and lures only.
- Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
- West Newton Lake in Park County.
- The use of a motor in excess of fifteen (15) horsepower prohibited.
- West Ten Sleep Lake in Big Horn County.
- Use of motorized watercraft is prohibited.
- Wind River Lake in Fremont County.
- Use of internal combustion engines in motorized watercraft is prohibited.
- Worthen Meadows Reservoir in Fremont Count.
- Use of personal watercraft is prohibited.
Other Area 2 Regulations
Area 2 Live Baitfish
The use or possession of live baitfish in Area 2 is prohibited except as otherwise specified in this Section.
Area 2 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: Wardell Reservoir, Bighorn Lake in Big Horn County; Bighorn River; Deaver Reservoir in Park County; Harrington Reservoir in Big Horn County; Shoshone River downstream from Penrose Dam; Wind River downstream from Boysen Reservoir; Boysen Reservoir; Ocean Lake in Fremont county; and, Pilot Butte Reservoir.
(ii) A holder of a valid seining license may seine, net, trap or spear baitfish from the following waters: Wind River and Bighorn River drainages downstream from the western boundary of the Wind River Reservation.
(iii) The designated wild caught live baitfish possession area for location A is the Wind River and Bighorn River drainages downstream from the western boundary of the Wind River Reservation.