Upcoming Meeting in Saratoga Focuses on Charter Fishing Boats

JULY 2, 2025 |

Photo – North Platte River near Saratoga – Bigfoot99 file photo

Representatives from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will hold a public meeting in Saratoga next week to discuss newly issued state regulations for charter fishing boats.

In March, the Wyoming Legislature passed House Bill Five, an act authorizing the Wyoming Game and Fish commission to regulate commercially guided fishing boats.

Game and Fish Fisheries Chief Alan Osterland told Bigfoot 99 the bill is comprised of four components. The first part, Osterland said, requires all commercial fishing boats to register with the state agency.

The second and third sections of House Bill Five involve the creation of two advisory boards to oversee commercial fishing throughout the state. Osterland said the fourth and final aspect of the bill allows Game and Fish to limit commercial fishing operations in specific areas.

House Bill Five gives the state Game and Fish agency until January of next year to create a set of commercial fishing registration standards, including issuing stickers for charter boats and trailers. Osterland said the state legislature intends to use the bill to determine the exact number of commercial fishing operations in Wyoming.

On Monday, July 7th, Game and Fish will host a public meeting at the Platte Valley Community Center in Saratoga to discuss the new charter fishing boat requirements. The Fisheries Chief said, similar to hunting license changes, the public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed regulations before they go into effect. In the fall, after the final round of meetings, Osterlund said the agency will decide how best to implement the state-mandated rules.

Osterland said attendees of a similar meeting held in Thermopolis expressed concern about the large amount of commercial fishing outfits on Wyoming’s waterways.

Participants at the Thermopolis meeting asked when Game and Fish will limit the number of operators. The Fisheries Chief said the state agency may consider setting limits, but the policy must be considered carefully before it is officially adopted.

House Bill Five also mandated the creation of an advisory board to oversee charter fishing operations. The board is made up of representatives from the eight Game and Fish districts. Osterland explained that the board members are not state employees, but people with an interest in commercial fishing.

Trout Unlimited Wyoming Coordinator Ian McCreary, of Encampment, was selected to represent Carbon County and the Laramie District.

Game and Fish representatives will hold a public meeting on the proposed commercial fishing regulations at the Platte Valley Community Center this coming Monday following the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

The PVCC is located in the heart of Saratoga at 210 West Elm Avenue. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 7th.

The following day, Tuesday, July 8th, a similar meeting will be held at the Game and Fish Laramie Regional Office, located at 1212 South Adams Street, at 6:30 p.m.