Warm water and trout

Trout caught in warm water often die after they're released, even when they swim away. Check the water temperature before you fish in summer, and know the official closures.

When to stop

Under 65°F
Trout are active. Fish as normal.
65–67°F
Fish the cool morning hours. Land fish fast and keep them in the water.
68°F and up
Stop fishing for trout, or fish only early before the water warms. This is where Yellowstone closes rivers in the afternoon.

Thresholds from Yellowstone National Park, Maryland DNR and Trout Unlimited. Montana's mandatory hoot-owl restriction (no fishing 2 p.m. to midnight) starts when a river reaches 73°F three days running. Destination pages warn at these temperatures when a nearby USGS gauge measures water temperature, using the day's high.

Closures in effect now

Loading closures…

Read every few hours from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Yellowstone National Park, Shenandoah National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Park and agency announcements are read by AI, and a person checks each new closure before it shows here. Always confirm with the agency before you go.

State by state

Every state with a trout map on this site, and the national parks we follow. Checked October 2026.

Close waters when it's hot or dry 12

Mandatory closures, when conditions call for them or on fixed dates every year.

  • MontanaMandatory hoot-owl restrictions (no fishing 2 p.m. to midnight) when a river reaches 73°F three days running, and full closures in drought. Official page · Listed above automatically
  • ColoradoVoluntary and mandatory closures in hot, dry spells, listed on CPW's weather and drought closures sheet. Official page · Listed above automatically
  • Yellowstone National ParkCloses the Madison, Firehole and Gibbon in the afternoon, or all day, when they run above 68°F; parkwide afternoon closures in the worst summers. Official page · Listed above after review
  • Shenandoah National ParkCloses every stream in the park in drought and heat (2021, 2023 and 2024) until rain brings the flows back. Official page · Listed above after review
  • Great Smoky Mountains National ParkNo recent closures, but the park can close streams, as Shenandoah does. Official page · Listed above after review
  • WashingtonEmergency rules close rivers for low flows (the Quillayute and the Clearwater in 2026); afternoon closures on several rivers in 2015. Official page · Listed above after review
  • OregonTemporary rules in dry years: low-water closures (Crooked River and Ochoco Creek, 2022), and in recent summers cold-water sanctuaries at the mouths of the Deschutes and Eagle Creek, closed July 15 to Sept. 15. ODFW no longer expects afternoon closures. Official page · Listed above after review
  • CaliforniaCoastal steelhead rivers close whenever their gauge drops below a set flow: North and Central Coast (Smith to Russian and Napa) Sept. 1 to Apr. 30, Santa Cruz and San Mateo streams Dec. 1 to Mar. 7. Summer drought closures are rare (2014–15, 2021–22). Official page · Listed above automatically
  • ConnecticutNo fishing within 100 feet of posted thermal refuges June 15 to Sept. 15 every year (Housatonic, and posted on the Naugatuck and Shetucket). Emergency closures at Farmington River tributary mouths in 2016 and 2022. Official page · Yearly rule listed above in season
  • New YorkThe Beaver Kill from Horton to the first Route 17 overpass is closed July 1 to Aug. 31 every year. Emergency closures are rare (Esopus Creek, 2016 drought); DEC's news is read for new ones. Official page · Yearly rule listed above in season
  • PennsylvaniaCan close waters by emergency rule, rarely: the tributary mouths on Penns Creek, August to September 2016. Official page
  • MainePenobscot River tributary mouths in Bangor and Brewer (Kenduskeag Stream, Felts, Meadow and Eaton brooks) are closed to all fishing July 1 to Sept. 30 every year. Other summer rules are in the law book, including tighter rules on many rivers and streams after mid-August. Official page · Yearly rule listed above in season

Ask anglers to stop 2

Voluntary: fishing stays legal, but the agency asks you to take a break.

  • WyomingAsks anglers to stop catch-and-release from noon to sunrise on named waters when they run warm (many in 2026, a first on the Snake). Keeping fish within the limits stays legal. Official page · Listed above after review
  • MarylandHot-weather advisory: fish mornings only at 65–67°F, and target other species at 68°F and up. Official page

No heat closures 23

Advice only. Use the thermometer and the thresholds above.

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