Walk-In fishing areas provide additional access
by Wyoming Game & Fish
February 13, 2010
Walk-in area fishing atlases for 2010 are now available at Game and Fish offices and license agencies throughout the state. The atlas contains maps which show the fishing areas and list the species of fish available in each area.
The walk-in program has been responsible for establishing access to streams and lakes and ponds throughout Wyoming. Walk-in fishing areas are part of the same public access program that provides walk-in and hunter management area access for hunting on private lands.
According to Game and Fish public land access coordinator Matt Buhler, fishing areas now available through the walk-in fishing access program encompass 4,944 acres of lake/pond access and nearly 97 miles of stream access on private lands. Buhler said that many of these areas allow anglers to get through private lands to get to public lands where much more access is available.
Buhler reminded anglers to respect the private lands they are using. "There is a great opportunity to get outside and take advantage of the fishing areas provided to anglers through the walk-in fishing program," Buhler said. "This opportunity is provided only because private landowners choose to enroll their property for fishing access."
The walk-in fishing areas supplement the more than 100 places to fish that anglers can access through Game and Fish public access easements and Game and Fish wildlife habitat management areas. In addition, Wyoming has extensive public fishing opportunities on National Forest, Bureau of Land Management and Wyoming State lands.
The walk-in atlas contains 58 fishing spots in11 drainages. In addition to WGFD offices and license agents, atlases can be found on line at http://gf.state.wy.us. Fishing atlases are valid for the calendar year.
The walk-in program is funded, to a large extent through the Game and Fish AccessYes program. The AccessYes program is comprised of contributions from anglers and hunters made at the time of license purchases and applications.
"All access locations in a walk-in or hunter management area are brought to you through donations made to AccessYes," Buhler said. "All donations go directly to the easements for your access."
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