JACKSON, wyo. — U.S. Forest Service officials are considering a proposal to open nonwilderness areas in Jackson Hole to guided day-use shore fishing.
The proposal involves portions of Pacific Creek, Spread Creek, Blackrock Creek and the Buffalo Fork of the Snake River in Bridger-Teton National Forest.
“We’re trying to come out with a proposal that serves the public, protects the resource and offers a good opportunity for the community,” Blackrock District Ranger Todd Stiles said.
Under the proposal, total use would be capped at 600 guided shore fishing days a year, and no more than two guides a day would be allowed to take clients to the Buffalo Fork.
Guided shore fishing as a stand-alone activity is currently allowed only at very low levels within the Bridger-Teton’s Blackrock and Jackson ranger districts, said Linda Merigliano, recreation and wilderness program manager with the Forest Service.
“People that are going on summer horseback rides are oftentimes fishing incidentally, like in Willow Creek and in many places in the Teton and Gros Ventre wildernesses,” Merigliano told the Jackson Hole News & Guide. “But in terms of day-use fishing, where people are just walking in, there’s a very limited amount that’s currently authorized.”
The Bridger-Teton proposal came about in response to proposals and requests from summer outfitter and guide services.
The stretches of streams and rivers proposed for the guided fishing were chosen strategically, Stiles said.
“We didn’t want to have every inch of water that’s outside the wilderness chosen,” he said. “But we wanted to have long enough sections of the nonwilderness portions of these streams so that we weren’t having all the use in just a short section of water.”
The Forest Service still needs to do more studying and take public comment before acting on the plan.
“In all reality,” Stiles said, “the soonest whoever’s selected would be able to take advantage of this would probably be summer 2017.”
