CASPER, Wyo — Annual fall gill netting by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department showed that Boysen Reservoir continues to provide an excellent fishery in 2020, the department said in a release Thursday.
Walleye numbers were the highest observed since 2014. Strong hatches since 2014 (and in 2018 in particular) are providing anglers excellent opportunities to catch 12 to 20-inch walleyes.
Twelve to 14-inch walleyes from the 2018 hatch made up the majority of fish captured in Game and Fish gill nets in 2020.
The 2020 sauger catch rate the highest observed since 2002, WGFD said.
“The higher catch rates observed from 2018 – 2020 indicate the population is still continuing to recover from the early 2000s crash that was caused by extended drought,” WGFD said.
The majority of saugers captured in 2020 were 13 to 16 inches and likely 2-3 years old.
“Unfortunately, yellow perch numbers did not rebound” from low catch rates observed in 2019. This is likely due in part to the high numbers of saugers and walleyes, which feed on yellow perch.
Despite the low catch rates, 53% of captured yellow perch were over 10 inches.
“Ice anglers this winter can expect good numbers of walleye and sauger,” said Fisheries Biologist Paul Gerrity. “However, catching yellow perch will be a bit more difficult.
He added that though walleye are more abundant, ice anglers have had more success catching sauger in recent years.
“This winter, as always, it will be important for anglers to be able to identify saugers from their close relative walleyes because of differences in creel limits,” Gerrity said.
The creel limit on saugers in the Wind River drainage (including Boysen Reservoir) is two, whereas six walleyes can be harvested daily or kept in possession, Game and Fish said.
Sauger and walleye limits in the Wind River drainage are not combined, so an angler can possess up to eight fish as long as no more than two are sauger and no more than six are walleye. All walleye and sauger caught in the Wind River drainage also must remain whole (gills and entrails may be removed) until the angler is off the water/ice and done fishing for the day, Game and Fish said.
Once off the water/ice and done fishing for the day, walleyes and saugers may be filleted for transportation and storage. A piece of skin at least one inch square large should remain on all fish fillets while in transit or in the field to allow species identification.
