Fisheries

The Gulf Council seeks a qualified contractor to evaluate 40 species currently managed under Gulf Fishery Management Plans and determine whether each should remain under full federal management, be removed from management, or be designated as ecosystem component species. The project must be completed by Summer 2027 with maximum funding of $125,000, with proposals due August 10, 2026.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is holding virtual workshops on July 14 and 16 to gather public input on proposed saltwater fishing regulations for cownose rays, including recreational and commercial bag limits. FWC data indicate cownose ray abundance has declined in some Florida estuaries, and the proposed regulations aim to establish conservation measures.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department stocked nearly 12 million walleye fingerlings statewide, with approximately 11 million from Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery and 1.1 million from Valley City National Fish Hatchery. Jerry Weigel noted optimal stocking conditions in 2026 with favorable survival prospects for young walleyes across over 150 lakes.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources completed over 350 fisheries surveys in 2025, including 225 inland lake surveys and 127 stream surveys. Jim Francis and Randy Claramunt noted these surveys evaluate management actions and track fish populations, but funding shortfalls threaten the program's sustainability.

NOAA Fisheries collaborates with the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program, involving researchers from six California universities, 36 sportfishing vessels, and over 2,500 volunteer anglers to monitor fish populations and evaluate Marine Protected Areas. Captain Paul Fischer and his charter boat Outer Limits host volunteers to collect data on coastal fish stocks like rockfish to inform stock assessments and fisheries management.

Idaho Fish and Game's winter drawdown at Moose Creek Reservoir successfully controlled invasive pondweed and improved the warmwater fishery. One year after the drawdown, bass and bluegill populations are larger and more abundant than in 2019, with bluegill catch nearly doubling.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has stocked over six million largemouth bass in tidal rivers since the early 1980s through its Tidal Bass Program. The initiative uses the Joseph Manning Hatchery at Cedarville State Forest to spawn broodstock collected from the Potomac River, releasing young fish at various life stages from May through November to enhance recreational fishing opportunities.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick finalized 2026 Regional Fishery Management Council appointments, including Paul Risi, Warren Elliott, Dave Blazer, Rob Southwick, Anthony Overton, Ed Walker, and Kesley Banks. The RFMCs manage marine fisheries supporting 15 million anglers and contributing over $145 billion in annual sales.

Scientists from William & Mary's Batten School and VIMS use electrofishing to tag and study spawning striped bass in Virginia's Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Since 1988, the VIMS Striped Bass Program has provided critical data on survival rates and migration patterns to inform state and federal management decisions as the species faces overfished status and declining populations.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will host a virtual public meeting on July 15 to discuss proposed rotenone treatments of Fish Lake in Spokane County and Upper West Branch LeClerc Creek in Pend Orielle County. WDFW warmwater fish program manager Kenneth Behen explained the treatments aim to remove undesirable fish species and restore native cutthroat trout populations.

Montana's yellow and green tag paddlefish seasons closed June 15 with an estimated combined harvest of 497 fish, significantly impacted by low river flows. The majority of fish were harvested downstream of Intake on the Yellowstone River, with biological data collected at the Intake cleaning station to support future paddlefish population management.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission are seeking 20 recreational fishery stakeholders for a September 23-24 workshop on sector separation options for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. The application deadline is July 3, 2026, with travel and lodging covered for selected participants.

Idaho Fish and Game limits walleye management to three reservoirs because walleye consume native game fish and threaten salmon and steelhead populations. State Fisheries Manager Joe Kozfkay and anadromous fish biologist Marika Dobos explain that anglers prefer trout, bass, and panfish, and walleye populations often become unsustainable.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has reopened the floating fishing dock at Fox Valley Lake Conservation Area near Kahoka after maintenance in 2023. The lake's invasive aquatic plants were treated, improving fishing opportunities for bass and bluegill, according to MDC Fisheries Biologist Travis Moore.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife aquatic biologists, in conjunction with Denver Water staff, salvaged more than 1,000 trout from Antero Reservoir and relocated 981 rainbow, brown, cutthroat, and hybrid trout species to Eleven Mile Reservoir and the South Fork South Platte River following a drought-related drawdown.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking public input on seven proposed changes to 2027-28 fishing regulations, including bag limit adjustments at multiple lakes and increased spearfishing opportunities at Lake Powell. A public forum webcast is scheduled for July 9 from 6-7 p.m., with written comments accepted through July 24.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Tyler Bosworth signed an emergency declaration increasing the red snapper bag limit to five fish per person daily from July 2-5 to celebrate America's 250th birthday. The limit reverts to four fish on July 6.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick finalized 2026 Regional Fishery Management Council appointments, including Paul Risi, Warren Elliott, Dave Blazer, Rob Southwick, Anthony Overton, Ed Walker, and Kesley Banks. The RFMCs manage marine fisheries supporting over 15 million anglers and contributing $145 billion in annual sales.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will stock approximately 15-inch channel catfish in select waters beginning the week of June 29, providing anglers of all ages an opportunity to catch larger fish than the typical 10-inch stocked size.

Oregon fishery managers delayed the Columbia River sockeye retention season to June 27-July 5 due to lower-than-forecasted returns. ODFW's Columbia River Fisheries Manager Jeff Whisler stated the precautionary approach balances fishing opportunity with conservation objectives for the endangered Snake River sockeye component.