A $33 bounty on brown trout caught below the Glen Canyon Dam will be offered beginning March 1/NPS

It pays to fish at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, especially if you hook a brown trout. That's because brown trout are an invasive species in the Colorado River, and the National Park Service has placed a $33 bounty on each fish caught and turned in.

The Brown Trout Incentivized Harvest Program at the NRA located in southern Utah and northern Arizona began last November with payments of $25 per fish. Beginning March 1, the bounty rises to $33 for each brown trout harvested and turned in.

Anglers are encouraged to help reduce the growing population of brown trout in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. March is a good month to focus on fishing gear and techniques that enhance angler’s chances of catching brown trout as the National Park Service and Arizona Game and Fish Department prepare to kick-off a Brown Trout Bonanza in April. 

The brown trout population between the dam and Lees Ferry has steadily increased since 2014. As adults, brown trout feed on other fish, threatening downstream native fish species. The goal of this program is to determine if the incentivized harvest by anglers can help manage and reduce the number of brown trout in the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and the mouth of the Paria River.

This management option was highly favored during public review of potential management tools when compared with intensive mechanical removal efforts or disturbance activities during the spawning period. 

To participate in this program, anglers must have a valid Arizona fishing license. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks are allowed. There is no limit on the number of brown trout that can be retained and turned in for a reward in the incentivized harvest.

To be eligible for the reward, anglers must return the head and entrails of each harvested brown trout along with an information collection card. The card and bags for depositing the requested fish parts are available at the Lees Ferry boat ramp or Navajo Bridge Visitor Center, located near Marble Canyon, Arizona.  At the end of each month a check will be sent to participating anglers by the Glen Canyon Conservancy, which is helping administer the program.

Details on the Arizona Game & Fish Department angling regulations for this area can be found at: https://www.azgfd.com/fishing/regulations.