# 2026 Fly Fishing: Snow Drought, New Rules, and a River Controversy
Hey folks, welcome back. If you've been gearing up for 2026, there's some wild stuff happening in the fly fishing world right now that you definitely need to know about.
First up, here's the bad news. Much of the western US is dealing with a serious snow drought this season. According to reporting on the 2026 snow drought, this is going to hit summer fly fishing hard. We're talking about freestone rivers in Utah, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest being at serious risk. Here's the thing: without that slow release of snowmelt cooling rivers in July and August, water temperatures are going to spike earlier and faster than usual. Montana's already preparing for this. When water temperatures hit 73 degrees for three consecutive days, they're throwing down hoot owl restrictions, which means no fishing from 2 PM to midnight. And get this, water temperatures of 77 degrees or higher can actually be lethal to trout. So if you're planning summer trips out West, you better start thinking about early morning and late evening sessions right now.
Now let's talk regulation changes, because there's a lot happening. Washington and Oregon are implementing new location-specific fishing endorsements starting January 1st. In Oregon specifically, that Ocean Endorsement is just nine dollars annually or four bucks daily, and here's the kicker: that revenue is going straight to nearshore fish population surveys. Meanwhile, Wyoming just dropped something huge. They're ending a seventy-year October closure on the Snake near Jackson Lake, which means fall lake trout season is opening up for the first time in seven decades. And on that tailwater below the dam, the trout limit jumped from three to six daily with no length caps on abundant browns. That's the kind of news that should get you planning a trip.
But here's where it gets interesting. Over in Colorado, there's a pretty heated debate happening on the Lower Blue River. Colorado Parks and Wildlife released a fishery survey report that's ruffling feathers. According to their December 2025 report, the pellet-feeding programs on the Lower Blue River are flagged as a top risk factor. The state's aquatic biologist basically said that artificial fish feeding is creating overcrowding and spreading gill lice, which is killing trout populations. But here's the thing: landowners and fishing guides over there aren't buying it. They're pointing out that the survey doesn't prove causation, and they're pushing back on some of the findings. It's a classic access versus conservation showdown, and it's definitely one to watch in 2026.
On a brighter note, the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service is expanding sport fishing access across refuges in Idaho, Montana, and Washington, adding over eighty-seven thousand acres of public water. That's the kind of news that makes you want to load up the truck.
So there you have it. A snow drought that's changing summer strategies, new regulations opening up opportunities, and a river controversy that's got the whole fly fishing community talking. Stay tuned to these stories as 2026 unfolds. Thanks so much for tuning in and please come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.
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