The Smith and Sun rivers are officially off the afternoon fishing timeout list. Starting Saturday, Aug. 29, anglers can once again fish throughout the day as cooler conditions settle into FWP Region 4.
FWP says “Water temperatures have met the criteria to change fishing restrictions,” and the agency expects them to stay cool. The previous hoot-owl rules—no fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight—were meant to give heat-stressed fish a break.
Even with the restrictions lifted, good fish-handling manners still matter: land fish quickly, keep them wet and give them time to recover before release. As FWP puts it, “Anglers can reduce stress on fish at all times of the year.”
In short: the rivers have cooled, the clock is no longer calling the shots, and anglers are being asked to keep treating the fish like the valued locals they are.
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