Wyoming Hole Size???

[Pyro Chuck]

I believe I recall reading here on IceShanty.com last winter it is 10". I cannot for the life of me find the thread now so if anyone can answer me this it would be greatly appreciated......thank s.

Pyro Chuck

[Matt R.]

You mean as for the maximum? I don't recall ever reading a restriction, if you find out let us know.

 All I ever fish is an 8", and only on 2 occations have I regreted it. But boy did I regret it!

[wyoboypt]

never heard or read of an ice hole size restriction. how can they regulate it if you can fish open water from the ice??? game and fish couldnt fight that!

[Wyosledder]

 I cant find my regs but I am sure its 10 inch everywhere but the gorge and I think its 18 inch there

[mattgacke]

I have never seen any regulations on hole size in Wyoming regulations.

[wyohunter]

I dont ever remember seeing anything in the regs on it at all. A 8 inch hole will work in 99% of our waters and if you get someplace like the Gorge then I will drill a clover leaf and chip it out inbetween.

[Wyosledder]

 I looked pretty hard at the regs online  and I don't see anything about it anymore

[troutsdaddy]

If i recall it is 12"....the reason behind this is any bigger hole would allow a child to fall in...

[tjohn]

Never saw anything in the regs, tournaments will sometimes have a max, Saratoga has a 10" max for this years tourney

[wyoboypt]

Just read regs. Nothing about hole size restrictions.

[Houligan]

Its a good thing there are no regs on this because some of us are too big of an "Ice hole" already!!!!!

hehe!

Cheers everyone!!!

[gemcityslayer]

I swear I remember some kind of government intrusion (law) that stated you could not have an open "hole" a certain size.  Not referring to an auger hole but for the guys who cut squares to fish out of?

Maybe I am thinking of another state w/ these laws.  In any case big thing is if you make a big enough hole for a person to fall through you had better put some kind of brush or stick in the hole with slush so it freezes in place and lets others see the marking.

[wyoboypt]

Haha! Nice houligan.   

[Fishly]

I swear I remember some kind of government intrusion (law) that stated you could not have an open "hole" a certain size.  Not referring to an auger hole but for the guys who cut squares to fish out of?

Maybe I am thinking of another state w/ these laws.  In any case big thing is if you make a big enough hole for a person to fall through you had better put some kind of brush or stick in the hole with slush so it freezes in place and lets others see the marking.

I agree with you. If you are going to chop a hole big enough to fall through, out of safety mark it with something. I always thought it was 10 inches. I wanted to know so I just called F&G. He said I was the 2nd to ask this year. He says it is not in the regs and they do not regulate hole size. Just use common sense. Fishon

[WGFFishBio]

I could not find anything in the regs limiting the size of your hole on the ice. Keep in mind, a 10" hole would fit a fish with a 31.14" girth (diameter * 3.14 (Pi)).

[Wyofarmer]

That's a bigun!

[Hegone47]

No size limit in state of Wyo.

[rumdrinker]

More than likely another state, in reference to spearing.  We don't spear much here if at all that I know of....

[appleye]

To "spear" in Wyoming you have to be completely under water at the time.

[Keith Walters]

To "spear" in Wyoming you have to be completely under water at the time.

That could be a bit chilly in the winter! Wouldn't take long to have "all the fun you could stand"!!!!

Keith

[jopes]

That could be a bit chilly in the winter! Wouldn't take long to have "all the fun you could stand"!!!!

Keith

These guys have that cold water stuff down.

[Keith Walters]

Those guys are nuts!

[ILikeBigBrooks]

Glad there is no limit for the Gorge!

[babsfish4life]

A lot of the states surrounding Wyoming have regulations for hole size just so people don't go too far into a hole if you step in one.  Just a regulation that should be common sense.  Lots of people like to cover their hole in with snow when they leave (for whatever reason) and just make a trap for someone to step in.  Leaving your holes uncovered when you take off makes them freeze quickly and are safer for everybody else.  Just my 2 cents.

[olefish]

I use to use an 8 inch auger for years until I started fishing for catfish.   There are so many variables to consider but the one that is missed is if you fish all night long is how the holes freeze in.  I had a flag on a hole that was set with a large minnow for something big.  It happened about 5am in -20 temps.  Even though I use whole covers and chipped out the top of the hole during the evening the 15lb catfish did not fit in the middle part of the hole.   When they freeze the hole cones in the middle part making it smaller than the bottom or top you have chipped out.  So now I use 10 inch auger that in cold temps cones to about the size of an 8 inch auger overnight.   Again Catfish are the only fish that have caused this issue because of their spiny fins.  Good luck and I hope you get one to big to fit through the ice without an adventure.   What I did with the catfish was reach down the hole and put a stinger through his mouth to hold it while we chipped ou the hole. Berrrr cold.

[Fishrmn]

Glad there is no limit for the Gorge!

Unless you fish the Utah parts.
From the Utah Fishing Guidebook.

Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Daggett County See Fishing across state lines and reciprocal fishing permits on page 7 for license and permit requirements.
• When ice fishing, the hole size may not exceed 18 inches.

Utah usually tries to have similar limits and regulations as Wyoming on Flaming Gorge.  I wonder if there used to be something in the Wyoming regs that has just been left out?

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