Trout Regulations

License Requirements:

• A resident or nonresident fishing license is re­quired of all persons who take or attempt to take fish, including trout, un­less otherwise exempt.
• A trout license (stamp) is no longer required because it is included in the resident or nonresident fishing license.

Method of Taking:

• It is unlawful to take fish from state-designated trout areas dur­ing trout season by any means except one rod and reel (or one pole and line). Closed to snagging.
• Trout caught and placed on a stringer or otherwise held in pos­ses­sion cannot be released later (no culling).
• All trout in possession must be kept on a stringer marked with that angler's name and customer ID number. All anglers must have their own stringer.

Daily & Size Limits:

• Daily limit is three trout combined in all state-designated trout areas except in portions of the Blue River, the Lower Illinois River and the Lower Mountain Fork River. (See maps and descriptions on Trout Area Information.)
• There is no minimum size limit for rainbow, or brown trout at any state-designated trout area except in portions of the Lower Illinois River and the Lower Mountain Fork River. (See maps and descriptions on Trout Area Information.)

Possession Limit:

No person shall have in their possession in the field more than one daily limit of any trout species. After the first day, no person shall have more than six trout in their possession, except at the Low­er Moun­tain Fork River and Lower Illinois River where the possession limit for brown trout is one. Non­res­i­dents shall not have more than one daily limit of trout upon leaving the state.

Artificial Flies and Lures Defined:

Fishing tackle made by fly-tying or artificial lures made of wood, metal, glass, feathers, hair, synthetic fibers or hard plastic and barbless hooks only. The use of any substance in combination with restricted fishing tackle is prohibited.