Wildfires and a worsening drought have impacted fly anglers across the North American continent. With a record low snowpack in the West, and surging heat waves across the country, many areas are dealing with the impacts of this year’s extreme weather.
Fishing Closures in Wyoming
In Wyoming, officials at Yellowstone National Park have ordered complete closures for the Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon Rivers. Previously, those rivers had been under hoot-owl restrictions had been in place.
“In recent days, peak water temperatures have ranged from 80 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit during the day,” park officials said in a statement. “Coupled with high air temperatures, these conditions are lethal to trout, and there have been reports of dead fish in the Firehole River. The closures will protect the park’s native and wild trout fisheries and will remain in effect until conditions improve.”
Elsewhere in the Cowboy State, anglers have been asked to voluntarily quit fishing on the Upper North Platte River. The section of river from the Wyoming – Colorado state line, to north of Interstate 80, has seen temperatures “above 70 degrees for a majority of the day, including some morning hours, posing a threat to trout survival,” according to Oil City News. “Signs explaining the voluntary closure will be posted at major public access points.”
Colorado, Montana, Issue Closures
Colorado and Montana have also issued closure orders, some of which are voluntary.
In Colorado, the Roaring Fork, Crystal, Eagle, and Colorado Rivers are seeing voluntary closures issued on some stretches, according to Vail Daily. Temps as high as 77 degrees have been observed in the Eagle River, and the Colorado remains critically low, according to officials.
Anglers are asked to observe the following closures, which as of now are still voluntary:
- Full-day closure on the Colorado River from Red Dirt Creek to Highway 13 Bridge in Rifle
- Full-day closure on the Eagle River from Lake Creek to its confluence with the Colorado
- Full-day closure on the Crystal River from mile marker 64 downstream to the confluence with the Roaring Fork
- A noon to midnight closure on the Roaring Fork from the Highway 133 Bridge in Carbondale to the confluence with the Colorado
In Montana, the closures issued are not voluntary. This closure is in effect from 2 p.m. to midnight daily, on various sections of the following rivers:
- Beaverhead
- Big Hole
- Blackfoot
- East Gallatin
- Gallatin
- Jefferson
- Madison
- Ruby
- Sun
You can view the exact areas of the closures here.
Fires in Canada, Minnesota
Fires burning in Canada and Minnesota have much of the northern United States suffering under smoky skies. As of this writing, fires were burning 77,000 acres in Minnesota. Over 900 fires are burning in Canada, torching some 11,000 square miles of land.
Anglers on their way to spots in Minnesota and Michigan have reported thick smoke and ash fall, prompting them to not spend time outdoors. With little moisture on the horizon, containment of these fires doesn’t appear imminent.