River otters, Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, beavers, Bald Eagles, Magpies, and Brown Trout in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation area.
Program Goal
To help restore balance to the Flaming Gorge Reservoir fishery by catching and harvesting Lake Trout <25 inches.
Conservation Message
Lake Trout are an important part of the Flaming Gorge fishery, though they have been reclassified as a nongame species for management purposes. Currently, there are too many Lake Trout under 25 inches in length and this overabundance is placing unsustainable predation pressure on other sport fish species. Harvesting smaller Lake Trout helps restore balance within the fishery, supporting healthier populations of trout, Kokanee Salmon, and trophy-sized Lake Trout. While Lake Trout are now listed as a nongame species, this was only done as a management tool. They remain excellent table fare and anglers are encouraged to keep the fish they catch.
For more information on efforts to restore balance in the Flaming Gorge fishery, including tips on finding and catching smaller Lake Trout, preparation ideas, and recipes, please visit the Flaming Gorge Reservoir Management page.
Head depositories (freezers) will be located:
Buckboard Marina store
Lucerne Valley Marina fish cleaning station
Flaming Gorge Resort
Game and Fish office in Green River (behind building)
All depository locations are available for entries 24hrs a day from January 1 – April 30, 2026.
No registration or fees to participate, however please read entire rules packet.
Award Categories – by Individual
Most Lake Trout
Anglers who place in the top five of most fish earn a portion of the prize money.
First place - $1,500
Second place - $1,000
Third place - $500
Fourth place - $300
Fifth place - $200
Tagged Lake Trout
The first ten tagged Lake Trout entries receive a $125 cash award.
To enter a tagged fish, participants must present the whole fish to a Game and Fish or Division of Wildlife employee so the tag number and fish can be verified. The date and location of capture must also be provided.
Random Draw – 35 winners
There will be 35 - $150 cash awards drawn randomly at the conclusion of the program.
Each valid Lake Trout head submitted will count towards an entry into the random draw. As an example, entering 42 heads will equal 42 entries into the random draw.
All payout places and amounts are subject to increase with increased monetary contributions.
March 19, 2026
To date, anglers submitted 552 lake trout as part of the program. Several anglers have been especially active participants and currently lead the leaderboard for the most lake trout heads submitted. There are cash prizes for most submissions, random draws, and instant rewards for the first 10 tagged fish submissions. So far, only 3 tagged fish have been turned in.
The current top five anglers are:
Robb Keith – 237 fish
Jeremy Wallace – 61 fish
Stephanie Wallace – 50 fish
Catrina Johnson – 47 fish
John Lundgren – 26 fish
There is still time to participate; the program ends April 30. Game and Fish encourages anglers to take advantage of the time left in the program. Fishing opportunities are expected to improve as spring approaches.
See full rules at this link – AnglerHarvestProgram_Rules_2025_Final