2024 Fishing Regulations - 26

S TAT E WI DE R E GU L AT I O N S
baitfish during reasonable hours. If an inspection discloses species
of wildlife not authorized by the Department or an aquatic invasive
species, the Department may order the wildlife, including all fish
in aquaria and enclosures, removed from Wyoming or destroyed.
Wild caught live baitfish may be held indefinitely by the holder of
a valid, unexpired seining license, but shall not be released, abandoned
or allowed to escape.
A seining license holder shall not sell, trade, barter or broker live
baitfish without first possessing a valid live baitfish dealer's license.
A seining license holder shall be allowed to give live baitfish to
other anglers in his or her fishing party for use only when the seining
license holder is present. All live baitfish shall be returned to
the seining licensee while not in use, and shall remain in the wild
caught live baitfish possession area listed on the seining license.
A seining license holder shall be allowed to give dead baitfish to
other anglers for use as dead bait.
Seining licenses are subject to suspension or revocation for failure
to comply with the seining and trapping conditions specified above
or with the regulations for each drainage area. Any revocation of a
seining license other than a court hearing revocation shall be subject
to contested case proceedings in accordance with Wyoming Game
and Fish Commission Regulation Chapter 27, Rules Of Practice
Governing Contested Cases Before The Wyoming Game and Fish
Commission. A seining license holder may appeal a Department decision
made under the authority of Commission Regulation Chapter
46, Fishing Regulations by submitting a written request to the Chief
of Fisheries in accordance with Commission Regulation Chapter 46,
Fishing Regulations.
Use of Baitfish
The use or possession of live baitfish is prohibited throughout Areas
1 and 4 and on all waters in Areas 2, 3, and 5 except as otherwise
provided on pages 8-18 which describe where live baitfish may be
obtained, possessed and used.
The specific waters from which wild caught live baitfish may be
seined, netted or trapped and used are listed on pages 8-18. Wild
caught live baitfish shall not be transported out of the designated
wild caught live baitfish possession area from which they were collected.
This area shall be listed on the seining license, live baitfish
dealer license or live baitfish receipt.
No person shall possess live baitfish while fishing on any water
where the use of live baitfish is prohibited.
Commercially produced live baitfish may be transported and possessed
throughout Areas 2, 3 and 5 (east of the continental divide)
except where the use of live baitfish is prohibited. Use or possession
of commercially produced live baitfish is prohibited on all waters
except as otherwise provided on pages 8-18.
Possession of live brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) is prohibited
in Wyoming.
Live Goldfish (Carassius auratus) or koi shall not be in possession
while fishing in accordance with Commission Regulation Chapter 52,
Take of Nongame Wildlife from Within Wyoming.
Persons with live baitfish in possession shall produce, upon request
from Department personnel, either a live baitfish dealer's license,
receipt from a licensed live baitfish dealer or a valid, unexpired
seining license verifying the origin of the live baitfish.
No live baitfish shall be transported into the state for use as live baitfish
except as provided in the LIVE BAITFISH DEALERS section below.
All live baitfish shall be held in aquaria or exclosures when not
in transport or in use.
Containers may be used to transport legally obtained live baitfish
or other wildlife by land, but shall not be part of a watercraft and
shall be free of aquatic vegetation.
Live baitfish shall not be released, abandoned, or allowed to
escape and must be killed when the receipt expires.
Dead baitfish may be used as bait. Restrictions on the use of dead
baitfish are designated within the regulations for the specific drainage
areas. Nongame fish taken by the use of legal fishing methods
during any season open for the taking of game fish may be used as
dead bait. Any live baitfish captured for use as dead bait shall be
killed immediately and shall not be transported live.
Live Baitfish Dealers
Any person desiring to engage in commercial use of live baitfish
shall apply for and receive a valid live baitfish dealer's license prior
to selling, trading, bartering or brokering live baitfish except holders
of a valid Wyoming commercial fish hatchery license who may
sell or otherwise transfer live baitfish to live baitfish dealers for
resale. Application for a live baitfish dealer's license shall be made
on forms provided by the Department. The applicant shall provide
information including, but not limited to, the physical location of the
business and a description of facilities to be used for holding fish.
Detailed regulations and information pertaining to live baitfish
dealers is available online at https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Fishing-andBoating/Forms-and-Applications
Other
Animals as Bait
Amphibians and reptiles shall not be used as fishing bait. The possession
of live or dead amphibians and reptiles while fishing is prohibited.
Crayfish shall only be used as live fishing bait in the water body
from which they were captured. Once transported away from the
water of capture, crayfish shall not be used as live fishing bait. Traps
used to take mollusks and crustaceans shall have the owners name
and address attached while in use. Importation or possession of
Rusty Crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) is prohibited.
24 WYOMING GAME AND FISH

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Fishing-and-Boating/Live-Bait-Dealers

2024 Fishing Regulations

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2024 Fishing Regulations