The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is hosting a Wednesday meeting to discuss a proposed change to fishing regulations on the North Fork of the Shoshone River and Buffalo Bill Reservoir west of Cody.

The public is invited to attend the Jan. 8 meeting from 6-8 p.m. at the Cody Regional Game and Fish office. The results of a recent angler preference survey and a four-year tagging study will also be presented.

Currently, the North Fork of the Shoshone River drainage from Newton Creek downstream to Gibbs Bridge is closed to fishing from April 1 through June 30. The creel limit on trout in the North Fork and Buffalo Bill Reservoir in Park County is three per day, or in possession. No more than two shall be cutthroat trout, and no more than one trout can exceed 18 inches.

The proposed change would shorten the seasonal closure from April 15 through June 30 from Newton Creek to Gibbs Bridge, and raise the creel limit on trout for the river and reservoir to six per day, or in possession. No more than two shall be rainbow, rainbow/cutthroat hybrid or cutthroat trout.

Cody Regional Fisheries Supervisor Sam Hochhalter noted the proposal would offer 14 days of additional fishing opportunity in the lower portion of the North Fork of the Shoshone River in the spring.

“In addition, the bag limit change will simplify the regulations for harvest-oriented anglers and help reduce catch-and-release mortality associated with the previous ‘only one over 18 inches’ regulation,” he said.

Hochhalter said the meeting offers anglers an opportunity to hear from biologists on the biological and social data that motivated the proposed changes.

“It’s also a great opportunity for anglers to ask any questions they may have on the management of trout in the North Fork and Buffalo Bill Reservoir,” he said.

Fishing regulations will be open for proposed changes this winter, with the public getting the opportunity to comment in March and April 2025. Any changes adopted by the Game and Fish commission will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.