Fishing and Boating Regulations
- Fishing Tackle: Flies, lures, or bait, but no fish or amphibian bait allowed
- No fishing without a permit
- Only 1 fishing pole per person
- Fishing is allowed from sunrise to sunset
- Privately owned boats, float-tubes, kayaks, etc. are allowed only if using oars or electric-powered motors. No gas-powered motors!
- Boats MUST be inspected for Zebra mussels and other invasive species before being introduced to Lake Capote waters.
- After cleaning fish, entrails are not to be discarded in the Lake.
Daily Bag Limit (LAKE CAPOTE ONLY):
The “daily bag limit” is the maximum number of game fish you can take in one day, per permit. Game fish caught and not immediately returned to the water are counted in the daily bag and possession limit.
Adult Bag Limit
3 RAINBOW TROUT – (All trout 16″ or greater must be released unless the fish is tagged with a derby tag and the angler has purchased a derby permit.)
1 LARGEMOUTH BASS
1 CATFISH
Youth Bag Limit
2 RAINBOW TROUT – (All trout 16″ or greater must be released unless the fish is tagged with a derby tag and the angler has purchased a derby permit.)
Catch and Release
Catch and release is an important approach to fishing that many anglers voluntarily practice. Not all fish that you catch need to be kept. In fact, the more fish put back in the river, the more fishing time you’ll have and the more fish will be available for others to enjoy. Most of the time, if a fish is caught, handled properly, and then released it will survive to be caught another day.
Here are some important things to remember when practicing catch and release:
- Do not play any hooked fish to total exhaustion.
- Keep the fish in the water as much as possible while handling it.
- Gently remove the hook without squeezing the fish or touching the gills. (Barbless hooks make hook removal much easier).
- If the hook is deeply swallowed, do not pull it out. Instead, cut the line as short as possible so the hook may dissolve inside the fish.
- Allow an exhausted fish to recover before releasing it. Gently hold the fish in moving water, facing it upstream until it swims away.
Return to Fishing