The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has enacted a comprehensive barbless hook requirement for the North Platte River’s most prized trout waters. The move comes in response to alarming research showing widespread hooking injuries among the fishery’s rainbow and brown trout populations.
Beginning January 1, 2026, only barbless hooks will be permitted on the North Platte River from Gray Reef downstream to Miles Landing/Government Bridge, encompassing the legendary Miracle Mile section that draws anglers from across the country seeking trophy trout.
A 2023 Wyoming Game and Fish Department study revealed the severity of hook-related injuries plaguing North Platte trout. The findings were stark: 21.4% of trout in the Miracle Mile showed visible hooking injuries, while 12.2% at Gray Reef bore similar scars. When considering all fish showing any signs of previous capture, the numbers jumped dramatically to 72.6% at Miracle Mile and 64.6% at Gray Reef.
These injuries range from deformed jaws and missing mandibles to destroyed eyes, with many fish suffering wounds that compromise their ability to feed and spawn effectively. The damage stems from barbed hooks that must be ripped from fish mouths during catch-and-release fishing, unlike barbless hooks that slide out cleanly.
“Some of them were so mangled, you really have to wonder how were they even able to feed?” said Tent Tatum, co-owner of North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop Cottages, speaking to Cowboy State Daily. Tatum, whose operation has always used barbless hooks, warns that severely injured fish “just wither away.”
The proliferation of hooking injuries has raised concerns about population-level impacts on Wyoming’s premier trout fishery. Many of the most severely damaged fish observed were spawning-class adults, potentially affecting the fishery’s reproductive success and long-term sustainability.
The North Platte’s surge in popularity has only exacerbated these issues in recent years, putting additional pressure on trout populations already struggling with hook-related injuries.
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