Idaho's snowpack levels are significantly below average this winter, creating concerns for river health and recreation. Warmer conditions and reduced snow will likely cause earlier runoff and faster water decline through summer, with an El Niño pattern expected through year's end.
ODFW staff at the Ashland Boat Inspection Station discovered golden mussels on a watercraft transported from the Sacramento River Delta on April 4, marking the first detection of adult golden mussels being transported into Oregon. The watercraft was decontaminated and all mussels were properly disposed. ODFW Invasive Species Coordinator Keith DeHart emphasized the critical importance of watercraft inspections in protecting Oregon's fisheries and infrastructure.
The Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana is calling for public support of four bills targeting industrial menhaden operations dominated by Canadian-owned Omega Protein and South African-controlled Daybrook Fisheries. The House Natural Resources and Environment Committee will hear the bills on April 8, 2026, addressing buffer zones, penalties, vessel tracking, and harvest data transparency.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife surveyed Bobtail and Steelman creeks in September 2025, finding over 1,300 cutthroat trout and recapturing YY brook trout stocked in 2024. The Trojan male brook trout project, led by Jon Ewert and Boyd Wright, continues showing positive results in restoring native cutthroat populations.
The Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon For Tomorrow, partnering with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and tribal governments, seeks volunteers from mid-April through early June to guard lake sturgeon during spawning season along the Black River in Cheboygan County. The 20-year-old program has virtually eliminated poaching while protecting this threatened species.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that fishing for lake sturgeon is prohibited in most state waters, and any incidentally caught sturgeon must be immediately released. The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians has led lake sturgeon rehabilitation efforts in the Manistee and Muskegon rivers since the early 2000s to restore this culturally significant species.
EGO Fishing has established ten protocols for sustainable catch-and-release fishing to ensure fish survival upon release. The standards cover pre-contact hydration, non-abrasive netting, submerged hook extraction, proper weight distribution, and other critical handling techniques designed to minimize stress and mortality during the transition from hook to water.
The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is extending application deadlines to April 20, 2026 for conservation grants and May 1, 2026 for fisheries scholarships, offering $65,000 to support research and habitat enhancement. Recent projects like those by Watersheds Canada demonstrate significant improvements in spawning success rates.
Eight bipartisan senators led by Dan Sullivan and Maria Cantwell introduced bill S. 4250 to reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund through 2031. ASA President Glenn Hughes emphasized the program's 76-year track record of supporting state fisheries management and public access through federal excise taxes on fishing equipment.
One year after the Upper Barataria Marsh Creation Project created 1,170 acres of wetland habitat in Louisiana's Barataria Basin, key species like shrimp, crab, and red drum are returning. The effort, led by the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group and contractors from Weeks Marine, addresses land loss while supporting local economies and vital fisheries monitored by The Water Institute and Nicholls State University.
The City of Fairhope celebrated the completion of the Fairhope Working Waterfront and Greenspace Project, which restored the Fairhope Pier, South Beach Park, Rose Garden, and fountain with $11.015 million in funding from RESTORE grants and local contributions. The project, led by Mayor Sherry Sullivan and Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship, earned a Bronze Award in the 2025 Brick in Architecture Awards.
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency collaborated to expand brook trout populations using Sport Fish Restoration funds. The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, chaired by biologist Jacob Rash, facilitates data sharing among 17 states to ensure healthy, fishable populations for anglers.
Audubon Southwest and Southwick Associates released a report showing water-based outdoor recreation generates $11.7 billion in economic output annually in Arizona, supports 72,000+ jobs, and contributes $6.9 billion to the state's GDP. The study analyzed participation in activities like fishing, boating, and hiking among 2.2 million Arizona residents.
Raising Cane's owner Todd Graves' $500,000 commitment to CCA Louisiana's R.E.E.F. program continues with the installation of Eugene Island 74 artificial reef, the second of five planned reefs. Built using NATRX Cajun Coral technology, the reef will restore critical habitat for speckled trout, redfish, and offshore species in Louisiana's coastal waters.
Wyoming Game and Fish Department inspectors intercepted a watercraft from Oklahoma carrying viable zebra mussels at a checkstation in a multi-state coordination effort with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The boat was quarantined and sealed, requiring professional decontamination before launch. Josh Leonard, Game and Fish aquatic invasive species coordinator, emphasized the importance of year-round vigilance and proper inspection protocols.
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, partnering with the Bahamas Ministry of Works and Family Island Affairs, launched tidal creek restoration projects on Grand Bahama Island to reconnect marine habitats supporting the world's flats fisheries. Work at West Gap Creek and August Creek will restore tidal flow, support mangrove regeneration, and improve water quality through 2026.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife surveyed Bobtail and Steelman creeks in September 2025, finding over 1,300 cutthroat trout and successful YY brook trout populations one year after stocking. Aquatic Biologist Jon Ewert and Native Aquatic Species Coordinator Boyd Wright reported encouraging results, with cutthroat trout significantly outnumbering wild brook trout in both creeks.
Louisiana and Open Ocean Trustees approved a final restoration plan addressing injuries from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The plan includes Chandeleur Islands Habitat Restoration Alternative 5, investing up to $237 million to restore over 2,400 acres of dune, beach, and marsh habitats, plus the Fisheries Engagement and Restoration Project with $10 million in funding.
With $9.4 million from NOAA Fisheries' Office of Habitat Conservation, the Indian River Lagoon Council and its partners are leading 15 restoration projects across the 156-mile estuary. Innovations include Charlie Sembler's Spartan Reef and University of Florida professor Todd Osborne's resilient "super clams," while seagrass restoration efforts have planted over 23 acres.
The Missouri Department of Conservation collaborated with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to enhance fish habitat at Table Rock Lake near Branson. Approximately 50 cedar trees were strategically placed along the shoreline, and 41 existing brush piles were replenished while six new ones were constructed.