Trout are Wyoming’s big fishing draw. We have rainbows, browns, lake trout, brookies and even goldens. You can even catch some hybrid trout, like splake and tiger trout, in some of the state’s waters. We also have four subspecies of cutthroats. Our state’s the only one where you can get a Cutt-Slam by catching a Colorado River, Bonneville, Yellowstone and Snake River cutthroat trout in their native waters.
But trout aren’t the only fish you can catch here. We also have an impressive selection of other game fish. We have walleye, of course. Walleye are probably the best-tasting freshwater fish in the world. I don’t know many walleye fishermen who catch and release.
We also have yellow perch, bluegill, kokanee salmon, sauger, mountain whitefish, grayling, rock, large and smallmouth bass, catfish, ling, pike, tiger muskies, crappie, pumpkinseeds, shovelnose sturgeon, green sunfish and freshwater drum. There may be more gamefish in Wyoming’s waters, but I’m out of breath.
If none of those get your motor running, you might try fishing for some of the nongame fish. Common and grass carp can be found in many of our reservoirs, and they’re an awful lot of fun to catch. Especially on ultralight tackle.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that there are plenty of different types of fish around here, and any outing right now, with the coronavirus keeping us cooped up, is a welcome distraction.
Whatever type of fish you try to catch, make sure you read the fishing regulations carefully before you go. There are different limits for the different kinds of fish. If you’re up for a challenge, try to catch all the different species in Wyoming. It’ll keep you busy for a while, but I guarantee you’ll enjoy it.
