Beginner Guides
Learn Fly Fishing
Data-driven guides for people who want to understand what they're doing — not just copy someone else's fly box. Start with the gauge guide if this is your first time on a trout river.
Beginner fly fishing
How to Read a USGS Stream Gauge
CFS, gauge height, and why the number on your phone screen determines whether your day is going to be great or a waste of a drive.
Wading Safety for Colorado Rivers
CFS controls more than fishing quality — it controls whether you stay upright. How to read water, gear up, and wade safely on Western trout streams.
5 Knots Every Fly Angler Needs
Five knots that cover every connection from reel to fly. How to tie them, when to use each one, and the #1 mistake that makes knots fail.
Tactics & technique
How to Pick the Right Fly
Match the hatch is real — but it's not magic. Here's a practical system for choosing between nymphs, dries, and streamers that actually works on Western trout rivers.
Seasonal Guide to Colorado Fly Fishing
What to expect each season — hatches, water conditions, and where to go. Four different seasons, four completely different games.
How Barometric Pressure Affects Fishing (And How to Use It)
That gorgeous bluebird day after a cold front? Worst fishing of the year. Here's the data behind why pressure changes matter more than the weather itself.
Gear & setup
State info
Trout Species of Wyoming — A Fly Angler's Field Guide
Wyoming holds native Cutthroat subspecies found nowhere else on Earth. How to identify Snake River Finespotted, Yellowstone, and Colorado River Cutthroat — plus the browns, rainbows, and brookies you'll actually catch.
Trout Species of New Mexico
New Mexico holds two native trout found nowhere else — Rio Grande Cutthroat and federally threatened Gila Trout — plus trophy browns on the San Juan, wild rainbows on the Quality Waters, and brookies in the Pecos high country. A field guide to all five.
Trout Species of Virginia
Virginia's only native trout — the Southern Appalachian brook trout — plus the introduced rainbows and browns that fill out the Jackson, Maury, and North Fork Shenandoah. A field guide to all three.
Trout Species of North Carolina
NC's only native trout — the Southern Appalachian brook trout (the "specs") — plus the introduced rainbows and browns that fill out the Davidson, the Nantahala tailwater, and the New River. A field guide to all three.
Trout Species of Tennessee
Tennessee's only native trout — the Southern Appalachian brook trout ("specs") — plus the introduced rainbows and browns that fill out the Watauga, Clinch, and Hiwassee tailwaters. A field guide to all three.
Trout Species of West Virginia
West Virginia's only native trout — the Southern Appalachian brook trout, the official state fish — plus the introduced rainbows and browns that fill out the Greenbrier, Elk, and South Branch Potomac. A field guide to all three, with notes on Mon NF brookie restoration.
Trout Species of New York
The Catskills wild brown trout fishery (Beaverkill, Willowemoc, Delaware) — the historic Lee Wulff and Art Flick water — plus stocked-and-wild rainbows on the Esopus, native brook trout in the Adirondacks, and lake trout in the deep ADK lakes. A field guide to all four, plus the Catskills dry-fly history that started it all.
Trout Species of Pennsylvania
PA holds some of the best wild brown trout water in the East — Penns Creek, Spring Creek, the Little Juniata — plus stocked rainbows statewide and the native brook trout (PA's state fish) in the headwaters of the Allegheny Plateau. A field guide to all three, plus the famous Penns Creek Green Drake hatch.
Trout Species of Vermont
The Battenkill wild brown trout fishery — one of the premier wild brown rivers in the Northeast, managed without stocking — plus stocked-and-wild rainbows, native brook trout in the Missisquoi headwaters and Mad River tributaries, and lake trout in Lake Champlain. A field guide to all four, with notes on Vermont's Wild Trout Management tradition.
Trout Species of Utah
Utah holds two native cutthroat subspecies — Bonneville (the state fish) and Colorado River — alongside world-class wild brown trout on the Green River and Middle Provo, stocked-and-wild rainbows, high-country brookies, and the striped Tiger Trout DWR stocks in select waters. A field guide to all six.
Trout Species of Arizona
Arizona's only native trout — the Apache Trout, the state fish and one of the great Western recovery success stories — alongside wild brown trout on Canyon Creek and Silver Creek, stocked rainbows on Oak Creek and Tonto Creek, and naturalized brookies in East Clear Creek. A field guide to all four, with notes on the White Mountains restoration program.
Trout Species of Maine
Maine's signature wild brook trout fishery (the Rapid, the Kennebago, the Heritage waters), wild landlocked Atlantic salmon (true Salmo salar — the West Branch Penobscot, Kennebec East Outlet, Magalloway), browns on the larger rivers, and the unique Downeast salters of the Narraguagus. A field guide to all four.
Trout Species of New Hampshire
NH's brown trout fishery — the Ellis, the Androscoggin's famous Alder fly hatch, the Saco — alongside native brook trout in the WMNF headwaters and Wild River drainage, stocked rainbows, and landlocked salmon in the Connecticut Lakes region and Squam/Winnipesaukee. A field guide to all four.
Trout Species of Massachusetts
MA's wild brown trout fishery — the Swift below Quabbin, the FirstLight-controlled Deerfield, the Westfield Wild and Scenic corridor — alongside naturalized rainbows on the same tailwaters, native brook trout in the Cold River and the upper Westfield branches, and stocked supplemental trout statewide. A field guide to all three.
Trout Species of Connecticut
CT's wild brown trout — the Farmington TMA, the Housatonic Falls Village fly-only stretch, the Salmon River, the Cole Wilde TMA on the Willimantic — alongside heavily stocked rainbows, native brook trout in the cold tributaries (upper Willimantic, upper Still, Natchaug headwaters), and landlocked Atlantic salmon from the broodstock restoration program. A field guide to all four.
Trout Species of Maryland
MD's wild brown trout fishery — the famously selective Gunpowder Falls below Prettyboy, the Trophy Trout Savage tailwater, the North Branch Potomac canyon — alongside wild rainbows on the Savage and NBP, native brook trout in Big Hunting Creek (Catoctin Mountain Park, fly-only C&R since 1974) and the Casselman headwaters, and stocked supplemental trout statewide. A field guide to all three.
Trout Species of New Jersey
NJ's wild brown trout fishery — the Ken Lockwood Gorge on the South Branch Raritan, the limestone-influenced Musconetcong, the Black/Lamington gorge through Hacklebarney, the upper Big Flat Brook — alongside heavily stocked rainbows from the massive Pequest Trout Hatchery and wild brook trout in the cold Highlands streams (upper Big Flat Brook, upper Black, upper Pequannock). A field guide to all three.
Trout Species of Oregon
Oregon's iconic Deschutes redsides, the world-famous summer steelhead of the North Umpqua and Rogue, native coastal cutthroat (resident and sea-run), Westslope Cutthroat in the Wallowa and Grande Ronde, federally protected Bull Trout in the Metolius and Wallowa, plus introduced browns on the Williamson and brookies at Hosmer Lake. A field guide to all seven.
Trout Species of Washington
Washington's six native salmonids — Columbia River redband rainbows on the Yakima, anadromous steelhead on the Skagit/Sauk and OP rivers, coastal and westslope cutthroat, federally protected Bull Trout in the North Cascades, and Dolly Varden on the Olympic Peninsula — plus introduced browns on the Spokane and brook trout in alpine lakes. A field guide to all eight.
Trout Species of California
California's California Golden Trout (the state fish, native only to South Fork Kern above Kern Falls), the historic McCloud River Redband Rainbow (the strain from which most of the world's hatchery rainbows descend), Coastal Rainbow Trout and the sea-run steelhead form, the largest cutthroat subspecies (Lahontan Cutthroat in the Truckee/Carson/Walker drainages), and the introduced Brown Trout that dominate the Owens, East Walker, and Hot Creek. A field guide to all six.
Trout Species of Michigan
Michigan's native Brook Trout (the state fish, dominant in UP rivers and cold headwaters), the introduced Brown Trout (first stocked in the U.S. in the Au Sable in 1884, now dominant on the Au Sable, PM, Manistee, and Muskegon), resident Rainbow Trout and Great Lakes Steelhead, the historically native Arctic Grayling (extirpated ~1936, reintroduction studied as of 2026), and the Pacific salmon (Coho and Chinook) introduced in the 1960s. A field guide to all six.
Trout Species of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's native Brook Trout (cold headwaters and far-northern rivers), the introduced Brown Trout that dominates the limestone Driftless spring creeks and central WI rivers, and the lake-run Rainbow Trout (Steelhead) that runs the Bois Brule on Lake Superior and the Oconto and other Lake Michigan tributaries. Plus the defining Wisconsin Hex hatch on the Wolf and Namekagon. A field guide to Wisconsin's three trout species.
Trout Species of Iowa
Iowa's two-species Driftless trout fishery — introduced Brown Trout dominant across the NE Iowa Driftless spring creeks (Bear, Bloody Run, Upper Iowa, Yellow, Turkey, Volga) and native Brook Trout in cold spring-fed headwater refuges. A field guide to both species, plus the Iowa Driftless geology context that connects NE Iowa to the WI and MN limestone karst country.
Trout Species of Minnesota
Minnesota's two-region trout fishery — the SE Driftless limestone spring creeks (Brown Trout dominant, native Brook Trout in cold headwaters, Rainbow Trout in some sections) and the North Shore Lake Superior tributaries (native Brook Trout above the first falls, lake-run Steelhead, Coho Salmon, and odd-year Pink Salmon below the falls). A field guide to MN's trout and salmon species across two distinct biogeographic regions.
Trout Species of Arkansas
Arkansas's two-species tailwater trout fishery — introduced Brown Trout (the trophy fish, including the all-tackle world record 40 lb 4 oz caught on the Little Red below Greers Ferry in 1992) and stocked Rainbow Trout (the primary stocked species across every Arkansas trout water). A field guide to both species, plus the Ozark tailwater ecosystem context that explains why a warm-climate state holds cold-water trout.
Trout Species of Ohio
Ohio's coldwater fishery is dominated by Steelhead (the lake-run rainbow form, stocked into Lake Erie and running up Steelhead Alley tributaries from Cleveland east to the Pennsylvania line October through April), with Brown Trout on the spring-fed Mad River and Clear Fork Mohican, stocked Rainbow Trout on inland reservoirs, and rare protected Brook Trout populations on the upper Chagrin, Grand, Conneaut, and Ashtabula headwaters. A field guide including the Cuyahoga Gorge Dam removal project that will eventually expand steelhead access on the Cuyahoga.
Trout Species of Missouri
Missouri's coldwater fishery is built on the Ozark Plateau's massive spring systems and the unique Missouri Trout Parks. Rainbow Trout dominate the put-and-take fishery (heavy MDC stocking at the four Trout Parks plus stocked rivers statewide), wild and stocked Brown Trout hold across the Ozark spring-fed rivers — especially the Current, Jacks Fork, Eleven Point, and the world-class North Fork of White. Plus rare Brook Trout in experimental headwater reintroduction sites. A field guide explaining the Trout Park siren tradition and how Missouri's fishery differs from anywhere else.
Trout Species of Georgia
North Georgia's Blue Ridge mountains hold all three classic Eastern trout species: wild Rainbow Trout in the headwaters of the Chattahoochee, Chatooga, Tallulah, and Cohutta Conasauga, plus heavy DH stocking on the Chatooga, Toccoa USFS, Amicalola, Smith Creek, and Chattahoochee Metro DH sections; wild Brown Trout in the trophy Toccoa tailwater below Blue Ridge Dam (documented 26+ inch fish), the Chatooga, Cohutta canyon pools, the Soque, and the upper Tallulah; and the genetically distinct native Southern Appalachian Brook Trout in the highest-elevation headwater tributaries of the Chattahoochee and the upper Conasauga in the Cohutta Wilderness.
Trout & Salmon Species of Alaska
Alaska's wild Rainbow Trout (Kenai 25-30", Naknek 28-34" routine, Russian River side-channel egg feeders), the iconic Steelhead of the Situk (largest wild run in Alaska) and Anchor (most southerly road-accessible), Arctic Grayling on the National Wild Gulkana, widespread Dolly Varden (sea-run and resident), King Salmon (⚠️ 2026 Kenai FULL CLOSURE), Sockeye (the Russian River fly-fishing-only sockeye fishery), and Coho/silver salmon (peak Aug–Sep, the most fly-friendly Pacific salmon). A field guide to all seven, plus cutthroat, pink, and chum salmon notes.
Trout Species of Kentucky
Kentucky has no native trout — but the Cumberland tailwater below Wolf Creek Dam holds state records for all four classic trout species (rainbow, brown, brook, and cutthroat). A field guide to the four-species Cumberland fishery, the rainbow-dominated stocked waters (Rock Creek, Red River, Green/Barren tailwaters), the trophy brown trout potential (state record over 21 lb), and why Kentucky's coldwater fishing exists at all in a warm Southern state.
Trout Species of South Dakota
South Dakota has no native trout — every Black Hills trout is introduced. A field guide to the three species you'll catch: stocked and holdover Rainbow Trout (heavy SDGFP stocking from the McNenny hatchery), wild and stocked Brown Trout (the trophy class in Spearfish Canyon and the Pactola tailwater), and cold-water Brook Trout in scattered headwater refuges. Plus the geological context that explains why a cold-water trout fishery exists in the middle of the Great Plains.
Trout Species of Nevada
Nevada has one native trout — the Lahontan Cutthroat, the largest cutthroat subspecies in North America and the flagship Pyramid Lake fish (20-lb-plus specimens routine, world record 41 lb 1925). A field guide to the four-species Nevada fishery: native Lahontan cutthroat, trophy-class Brown Trout in the East Walker tailwater (5-lb-plus fish documented), stocked Rainbow Trout across every NDOW water, and cold Brook Trout in the Ruby Mountains. Plus the geography that explains how the driest state in the country holds trout at all.
Warmwater Fly Fishing in the Texas Hill Country
Texas is the only state on this site where the headline fish isn't a trout. A field guide to the Guadalupe bass — the state fish, endemic to the Edwards Plateau, the entire identity of Hill Country fly fishing — plus largemouth, smallmouth (the hybridization problem), Rio Grande cichlid (only U.S. native cichlid), Blanco River carp on the flats, and the Guadalupe River winter-only trout tailwater. Plus seasonal patterns, fly selection, and Hill Country gear.
Alabama Tailwater Fly Fishing — The Sipsey Fork
Alabama's only wild trout tailwater — the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River below Lewis Smith Dam, flowing through Bankhead National Forest. How a hypolimnetic-release dam creates trout habitat in the Deep South, the seasonal hatch progression (winter midges, spring caddis and sulfurs, summer Light Cahills, fall BWO return), reading the Alabama Power release schedule, and gear for a small Southern tailwater.
Alabama's Endemic Redeye Bass Species
Alabama is the redeye bass capital of the world — three drainages (Cahaba, Tallapoosa, Black Warrior) each evolved their own distinct redeye species found nowhere else: Cahaba bass (Micropterus cahabae), Tallapoosa bass (M. tallapoosae), and Warrior bass (M. warriorensis). A field guide to all three, how to tell them apart from spotted bass and smallmouth, fly-fishing tactics for the most fly-friendly black bass in North America, and the hybridization conservation issue.
Oklahoma Trout Tailwaters — Blue River & Mountain Fork
Oklahoma holds two cold-water trout fisheries in a state that has no business holding trout: the Blue River Public Fishing Area in the Arbuckle Mountains (spring-fed) and the Mountain Fork below Broken Bow Dam (hypolimnetic tailwater in Beavers Bend). How ODWC manages a Southern Plains trout fishery, dam-release timing for the Mountain Fork, the current rainbow-stocking pause during Broken Bow renovation, and winter-vs-summer strategy.
Oklahoma Smallmouth Bass Fly Fishing
Smallmouth — not trout — are Oklahoma's defining fly fishing story. The Illinois River as the state's premier float fishery, Ozark smallmouth tactics on Baron Fork, Ouachita Mountain water on the Glover and Kiamichi (Oklahoma's last wild river), Cherokee Nation tribal-water access considerations, and float planning for designated scenic rivers.
Regulations
Colorado Fishing Regulations You Actually Need to Know
Licenses, Gold Medal rules, catch-and-release technique, access laws, and barbless hook requirements — the regs that matter for fly anglers.
Wyoming Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Licenses, the Conservation Stamp, year-round seasons, no trout stamp, and the river-specific rules that matter on the Grey Reef, Snake, and Bighorn.
New Mexico Fly Fishing Regulations
Licenses, the HMAV stamp, the free Gila Trout Conservation Permit, year-round seasons, and the San Juan Quality Waters slot limit that catches anglers off-guard.
Virginia Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Licenses, the separate trout license, year-round seasons, Virginia's tiered water classification system, Shenandoah National Park rules, and the Jackson River tailwater special regs.
North Carolina Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Licenses, the separate Trout Fishing License, NC's tiered water classifications (Hatchery Supported, Wild, Catch & Release, Delayed Harvest), and the GSMNP rules that apply on the NC side.
Tennessee Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Licenses, the Class L Trout Privilege, Tennessee's tiered water classifications (Put-and-Take, Catch-and-Release, Delayed Harvest, Trophy), TVA tailwater safety on the Watauga and Clinch, and GSMNP rules on the Tennessee side.
West Virginia Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Licenses, the separate trout fishing stamp, WV's tiered water classifications (stocked, C&R artificial-only, delayed harvest, wild trout), Monongahela National Forest layered regs, and the high-water-mark stream-access rule on the Greenbrier and South Branch.
New York Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Licenses (no separate trout stamp), the April 1 – October 15 default season, year-round catch-and-release sections on the Beaverkill, Willowemoc, Esopus, Neversink, and West Branch Delaware, and the Public Fishing Rights easement system that makes the Catskills legally accessible.
Pennsylvania Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Licenses, the separate Trout/Salmon Permit, the Opening-Day-driven default season, year-round Class A wild trout streams, and PA's special-regulation tier — DHALO, Catch & Release, Trophy Trout, and Heritage Trout Angling — on Penns Creek, Spring Creek, and the Little Juniata.
Vermont Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Licenses (no separate trout stamp — all-inclusive), the April–October main season, the year-round Battenkill C&R section in Arlington, and the West River tailwater rules below Ball Mountain Dam where Army Corps releases govern the day.
Utah Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Licenses (no separate trout stamp), year-round access on most waters, the Blue Ribbon Fisheries program, the special-regulation sections on the Green River and Middle Provo, native cutthroat protections, and Utah's restrictive stream-access rule.
Arizona Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Licenses (no separate trout stamp), the year-round default season, the Apache Trout catch-and-release statewide rule, the West Fork Oak Creek fly-only / C&R designation, the Canyon Creek lower-section special regs, the Silver Creek October–March C&R season, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe permit required for tribal waters.
Maine Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Maine fishing license, the separate Inland Salmon endorsement for landlocked salmon waters, the Heritage Brook Trout designation, water-by-water special regulations on the West Branch Penobscot, the Kennebec, the Rangeley region, and the Downeast salters.
New Hampshire Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
NH F&G fishing license (no separate trout stamp), the generous January 1 trout opener on most waters, Wild Trout and Heritage designations in the White Mountains, and the Pittsburg Trophy Stretch slot limits below First Connecticut Lake.
Massachusetts Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Massachusetts fishing license (no separate trout stamp), the April 1 spring opener, year-round catch-and-release on the Swift fly-only stretch, the Deerfield C&R sections, the Nissitissit fly-only reach, the East Branch Westfield Chesterfield Gorge corridor, and the Millers River C&R sections.
Connecticut Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
CT inland fishing license, the separate Trout & Salmon Stamp required for TMA fishing, the second Saturday in April general opener, year-round access on TMAs (Farmington, Housatonic, Salmon, Cole Wilde, Still), the Falls Village fly-only year-round C&R section, and the new 9-inch statewide minimum effective January 1, 2026.
Maryland Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Maryland nontidal fishing license, the separate Trout Stamp required statewide, the last Saturday in March opener, the Gunpowder Falls 7.2-mile catch-and-release section, the year-round fly-only C&R on Big Hunting Creek (since 1974), the Savage River Trophy Trout regulations (18-inch minimum brown), and the North Branch Potomac special management sections.
New Jersey Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
NJ freshwater fishing license, the separate Trout Stamp required statewide, the second Saturday in April opener, the Ken Lockwood Gorge fly-only catch-and-release section on the South Branch Raritan, Big Flat Brook Trophy Trout regulations, Musconetcong special-regulation reaches, and the heavy stocking program out of the Pequest Trout Hatchery.
Oregon Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Licenses, the Combined Angling Tag for steelhead and salmon, the wild fish release rule (intact adipose = wild = release), federally protected Bull Trout, the tribal treaty waters of the Warm Springs, Nez Perce, and Klamath Tribes, and Oregon's fly-only and catch-and-release waters (Metolius, North Umpqua corridor, Fall River, Hosmer Lake, Crooked below Bowman).
Washington Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Washington Combination License, the Catch Record Card required for steelhead/salmon/sturgeon/halibut, the wild fish release rule (intact adipose = wild), WDFW emergency closure system, tribal treaty co-management with the Quinault, Quileute, Swinomish, Upper Skagit, Snohomish, and Sauk-Suiattle tribes, Olympic National Park fishing rules, and federally protected Bull Trout — everything a visiting fly angler needs to fish Washington legally.
California Fly Fishing Regulations Guide
California Sport Fishing License, the separate California Steelhead Report Card required statewide for steelhead fishing, the wild steelhead release rule (intact adipose = wild = release), the ESA-listed Coho salmon ban (illegal to target or retain anywhere), California Golden Trout protections in Golden Trout Wilderness, the Wild Trout Program waters (Hat Creek, Fall River, Hot Creek, Owens, Feather, Upper Sacramento), the post-dam-removal Klamath River regulations in flux, and National Park rules that stack on top of CDFW.
Michigan Fly Fishing Regulations Guide
Michigan fishing license, the last-Saturday-in-April trout opener, Type 1/Type 2 Gear Restricted designations, the no-kill artificials-only Au Sable Holy Water and Pere Marquette M-37 to Gleason's section, the absence of a wild steelhead release rule (unlike Pacific states), the 2024 NRC amendment reducing PM steelhead bag limits, the 2023 Consent Decree on 1836 Treaty tribal co-management of Great Lakes fisheries, and the special post-dam-removal Boardman River considerations.
Wisconsin Trout Fishing Regulations Guide
Wisconsin fishing license + $10 trout/salmon stamp ($30 resident total), the first-Saturday-in-May trout opener, the Wolf River Menominee tribal water boundary at Hwy M, Bois Brule complex seasonal closures (night fishing prohibited, Box Car Hole closed Jul 15–Oct 31, Mays Ledges closed Sep 1–May 31, 26" rainbow minimum), Black Earth Creek special-regulation 18" minimum section, Blue River Enhanced Resource Waters (ERW) catch-and-release / artificials only, and Driftless Area special regulations.
Iowa Trout Fishing Regulations Guide
Iowa fishing license + the separate trout fee, the year-round trout season on most NE Iowa Driftless streams, the 5-fish daily limit on most water, the catch-and-release / artificials-only Bloody Run Creek, and the Waterloo Creek catch-and-release special-regulation reach (Iowa's most-famous C&R stream, USGS gauge downgraded to stage-only in 2023). Verify 2026 license fee changes on Iowa DNR.
Minnesota Trout Fishing Regulations Guide
Minnesota fishing license + $10.75 trout stamp ($35.75 resident total), the second-Saturday-in-April trout opener (2026: April 11), SE MN Driftless special regulations (Trout Run Creek and Middle Fork Whitewater artificials-only with 12–16" slot limit, Whitewater State Park year-round catch-and-release), the North Shore split regulations (above/below the first waterfall from Lake Superior), and the odd-year Pink Salmon run (next: 2027) on Lake Superior tributaries.
Arkansas Trout Fishing Regulations Guide
Arkansas fishing license + the separate Trout Permit (~$10.50 + ~$10.00 = ~$20.50 resident), the year-round trout season on every Arkansas trout water, the dam-release tailwater fisheries (Bull Shoals on the White, Norfork on the North Fork, Greers Ferry on the Little Red — world-record 40 lb 4 oz brown trout 1992), Mammoth Spring on the Spring River, and the active emergency regulations imposed in February 2026 due to a hatchery shortage. Verify current rules at agfc.com before fishing.
Ohio Trout & Steelhead Fishing Regulations Guide
Ohio fishing license ($25/year resident, no separate steelhead permit required), the no-closed-season for steelhead in Lake Erie tributaries, the Steelhead Alley tributary creel zones (Rocky River to Detroit Rd. bridge, Chagrin to SR 283, Grand to SR 535), required catch-and-release for brook trout on the Chagrin, Grand, Conneaut, and Ashtabula, year-round Mad River regulations, the Ohio DNR trout stocking program, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park access. 2026–27 regulation cycle effective March 1, 2026. Verify at wildohio.gov.
Missouri Trout Fishing Regulations Guide
Missouri fishing license (~$12/year resident) plus required trout permit (~$10/year resident), the four MDC Trout Parks (Bennett Spring, Montauk, Roaring River, Maramec Spring) with daily tag system, 4-trout daily limits, and artificial-only zones, Ozark National Scenic Riverways float etiquette on the Current and Jacks Fork, wild trout management on the Eleven Point and North Fork of White, MDC stocking schedule, and the morning siren tradition at the Trout Parks. 2026–27 regulation cycle. Verify at mdc.mo.gov.
Georgia Trout Fishing Regulations Guide
Georgia fishing license (~$15/year resident) plus required trout license (~$25/year resident), Georgia DNR's now year-round trout season (no closed dates), the 5 Delayed Harvest streams (Chatooga, Toccoa USFS, Amicalola, Smith Creek, Chattahoochee Metro) running C&R single-hook artificial Nov 1 – May 14, special regs on Noontootla Creek (16-inch minimum, artificial only year-round) and the Conasauga watershed (artificial-only Nov 1 – late March, night fishing prohibited year-round), the TVA-regulated Toccoa tailwater with no live USGS gauge, plus Smithgall Woods/Dukes Creek reservation rules. 2026–27 regulation cycle. Verify at georgiawildlife.com.
Alaska Fly Fishing Regulations Guide
Alaska sport fishing license + King Salmon Stamp pricing, the active 2026 ADF&G emergency-order regime including the FULL CLOSURE on Kenai king salmon (zero retention AND zero catch-and-release, both early and late runs), the regional management areas (Southcentral, Interior, Southeast/Yakutat, Bristol Bay, Kodiak), the Russian River fly-fishing-only single-hook unweighted artificial rule, the rainbow trout season on the Kenai (June 11 – April 30), and the bag limits that vary by species and drainage. 2026 emergency orders are unprecedented — verify at adfg.alaska.gov within 48 hours of every trip.
Kentucky Trout Fishing Regulations Guide
Kentucky fishing license + the separate Trout Permit ($10.57), the standard 8 trout/day creel on the main Cumberland tailwater, the Hatchery Creek and Rock Creek delayed-harvest sections (artificial-only C&R October–March), the Red River Natural Bridge SP DH section (October–April), the Wolf Creek Dam release schedule that drives Cumberland flows, and the life-vest requirement on KY Wild Rivers (Rockcastle, Rock Creek). Verify current rules at fw.ky.gov.
South Dakota Trout Fishing Regulations Guide
South Dakota fishing license (no separate trout permit required), year-round trout season on every Black Hills stream, 5-fish daily limit with 8-inch minimum, the active Whitewood Creek fish consumption advisory tied to historic Lead/Deadwood gold-mining tailings, public-vs-private access in the Black Hills (Spearfish Canyon, Pactola tailwater, urban Rapid Creek, Spring Creek mixed-access, Castle Creek BHNF remote), and the French Creek / Grace Coolidge ungauged-stream note. Verify at gfp.sd.gov.
Nevada Trout Fishing Regulations Guide
Nevada fishing license covers the rivers (no separate trout permit), year-round trout season with section-specific Lahontan cutthroat protections, the critical Pyramid Lake vs. Truckee River license distinction (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe permit required on the lake; Nevada state license covers the river), and the Sierra-front trophy fisheries (East Walker tailwater browns, Truckee Pyramid Lake cutthroat run, Lamoille Creek in the Ruby Mountains). Plus the Ruby Lake NWR / Reese River ungauged-stream note. Verify at ndow.org.
Texas Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers
Texas Freshwater Fishing License, no separate trout stamp, the Guadalupe River below Canyon Lake three-zone trout regulations (Zone 1 slot limit, Zone 2 trophy 18" / 1-fish, below Zone 2 statewide), trout stocking November–March only, statewide 14"/5-fish black bass rule, the TPWD Guadalupe bass genetic restoration program on the Blanco and Pedernales, Hill Country state park access, and the flash flood reality of fishing the Edwards Plateau.
Ready to check conditions?
Apply what you've learned — live CFS data for every river on the site.