Outdoors

Pan For Adventure

Publisher — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Pan For Adventure

Publisher Sat, 09/05/2026 - 07:00

Game and Fish Announces Voluntary Catch-and-Release Fishing Closures Across the State

Publisher — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 01:30:00 +0000

Game and Fish Announces Voluntary Catch-and-Release Fishing Closures Across the State Publisher Sun, 08/23/2026 - 03:30

Press Release

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is calling on anglers to help protect Wyoming’s trout populations by shifting their fishing to the early morning hours during the summer heat. Due to elevated water temperatures in parts of the state, the department has issued voluntary closures on some waters, asking anglers to either stop catch-and-release fishing after noon or cease fishing altogether.

Unseasonably warm temperatures and low water flows across the state are causing stream temperatures to regularly exceed 70 degrees in the afternoon and evening, posing a serious threat to caught-and-released trout.

What Anglers Need to Know:

• Catch-and-release anglers — rise and reel: Focus your fishing between sunrise and noon. Water temperatures are coolest in the morning, giving released trout the best chance of survival. Please pause catch-and-release fishing after 12:00 p.m.

• Harvest-focused anglers: Anglers looking to keep fish for harvest within standard daily limits may continue to fish, as this practice does not involve releasing stressed fish back into warm water.

Why Timing Matters

Warm water carries significantly less dissolved oxygen, making it difficult for trout to recover after a fight.

• At 65 F: Anglers are encouraged to harvest legal limits rather than practice catch-and-release.

• At 70 F+: Catch-and-release fishing should be stopped entirely for the day.

• Above 75 F: Water temperatures become hazardous, and brief exposure above 80 F is often fatal to trout.

“We know Wyoming anglers care deeply about the health of these rivers,” said Game and Fish Fisheries Management Coordinator Mark Smith. “By hitting the water early and wrapping up catch-and-release fishing by noon, anglers can enjoy great fishing while ensuring our trout populations remain resilient.”

Tips for Protecting Trout in Warm Weather:

• Check the temp: Carry a pocket stream thermometer and check water temps periodically.

• Land them fast: Minimize fight time to prevent fish exhaustion.

• Keep ‘em wet: Keep fish submerged in the water while removing hooks, ideally using barbless hooks.

• Harvest when appropriate: If a fish is exhausted or deeply hooked, and regulations allow, consider harvesting it rather than releasing it.

Signs detailing the voluntary afternoon closure are posted at major public access points. Game and Fish thanks the angling community for practicing proactive conservation this summer.

Visit wgfd.wyo.gov/fishing-boating/fishing-heat for a listing of impacted waters.

Moving into Fall Means Increased Bear Activity

Publisher — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 01:30:00 +0000

Moving into Fall Means Increased Bear Activity Publisher Sun, 08/23/2026 - 03:30

Press Release

Wyoming Game & Fish Dept.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is currently experiencing an uptick in black bear activity throughout the state.

Bears are currently entering hyperphagia, a biologically-driven period in late summer and fall where they begin to forage and build fat reserves for winter. During this time, bears will consume up to 20,000 calories a day.

“No two years are the same when it comes to bear behavior,” said Dan Thompson, Game and Fish large carnivore supervisor. “While ongoing drought across the state is reducing traditional food sources and pushing bears to range further for calories, bear movement is driven by a complex web of environmental factors.”

All of Wyoming is bear country, and Game and Fish encourages people to be Bear Wise to protect themselves and bears.

Keep garbage where bears can’t smell or reach it, using a bear-resistant container or secure building. Use outdoor cans only for non-food waste and take garbage to an approved disposal site at least once a week.

Protect fruit trees and gardens with electric fencing. Pick ripe fruit promptly and remove fallen fruit, especially before fall.

Bird feeders can also attract bears. Use suet only in winter and hang hummingbird feeders at least 10 feet above the ground and 4 feet from trees or poles.

Unusual bear activity can be reported by calling 1-877-WGFD-TIP (1-877-943-3847), or text “WGFD” to TIP411 (847-411).

Discover Carbon County's Ghost Towns

Publisher — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Discover Carbon County's Ghost Towns

Publisher Sat, 08/15/2026 - 07:00

Treasure Hunting Carbon County Style

Publisher — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Treasure Hunting Carbon County Style

Publisher Sat, 08/08/2026 - 19:00

Energy Tour Map Of Carbon County

Publisher — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Energy Tour Map Of Carbon County

Publisher Sat, 08/01/2026 - 15:00

Ride Carbon County Where Every Mile is an Adventure

Publisher — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Ride Carbon County Where Every Mile is an Adventure

Publisher Sat, 07/11/2026 - 07:00

Notice to Avoid and Report Possible Harmful Cyanobacteria Blooms (HCBs) in Wyoming Waters

Publisher — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Notice to Avoid and Report Possible Harmful Cyanobacteria Blooms (HCBs) in Wyoming Waters

Publisher Sat, 06/27/2026 - 07:00

Press Release

Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality

With summer upon us and more people heading to Wyoming’s lakes and reservoirs to recreate, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ), the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH), and the Wyoming Livestock Board (WLSB), in collaboration with partners, remind the public to avoid and keep animals away from harmful cyanobacteria blooms (HCBs) and report suspected blooms and bloom-related illnesses to the WDEQ and WDH at WyoHCBs.org.

Cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, can form harmful blooms (HCBs) that produce cyanotoxins and other irritants, posing risks to human and animal health. HCBs usually appear in mid-to-late summer and can occur in streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. HCBs can vary in appearance – they may be green, tan, brown, or blue-green, and can float in or on the water. They often look like spilled paint, clumps, grass clippings, or scum. HCBs may stick to underwater surfaces like rocks, plants, or debris, appearing as films or mats that are often chunky or slimy, which could detach and float to the surface or collect along the shoreline.

If a bloom is present, the WDH and WLSB recommend the following:

• Avoid contact with water in and around the bloom, especially in areas where cyanobacteria are dense.

• Do not swallow water from the bloom. Boiling, filtration, or other treatments will not remove toxins.

• Rinse fish with clean water and eat only the fillet portion.

• Avoid water spray from the bloom.

• Do not allow pets or livestock to drink water near the bloom, eat bloom material, or lick fur after contact.

• If people, pets, or livestock come into contact with a bloom, rinse off with clean water as soon as possible.

Seek medical attention or a veterinarian if a person or animal is sick after exposure to a cyanobacteria bloom. Young children, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, and animals are at higher risk. Information on health risks and symptoms related to a cyanobacteria bloom can be found on WDH’s webpage: https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/infectious-disease-epidemiology-uni….

The WDH follows up on all HCB illness reports, and the WDEQ will investigate potential blooms to determine if they are harmful. As outlined in Wyoming’s HCB Action Plan, the WDH will issue advisories for waterbodies where cyanobacteria or toxins may pose a risk to people who come into contact with the water. A Bloom Advisory is issued for a waterbody when a cyanobacteria bloom is present and cyanotoxins may be present. A Toxin Advisory is issued for a particular location within a waterbody when toxin concentrations exceed safe recreational levels. A webmap of current and past advisories and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) can be found at WyoHCBs.org. Since there may be additional waterbodies with cyanobacteria blooms of which the WDH and WDEQ are not aware, it is important to check the water for signs of blooms even when there is no advisory for the waterbody.

For more information, visit Wyoming’s HCB webpage at WyoHCBs.org.

Take the High Road in Carbon County

Publisher — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Take the High Road in Carbon County

Publisher Sat, 06/27/2026 - 07:00

Discover the Indian Bathtubs Trail

Publisher — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Discover the Indian Bathtubs Trail

Publisher Sat, 06/20/2026 - 07:00