The claim: As of spring 2026, officials in parts of the western United States are urging anglers to catch as many fish as possible from certain reservoirs projected to dry up due to drought conditions.
Wildlife officials say they want to ensure the fish get used, since they will die regardless.
In spring 2026, social media users began claiming that wildlife officials in the western United States were urging anglers to catch as many fish as possible, as some reservoirs were set to dry up due to drought conditions.
“Fish all you want — they’re doomed either way,” said posts across Facebook and Instagram.
These social media posts copied language from a real NBC News article titled, “The fish will die regardless: With some Western reservoirs set to run dry, officials lift fishing limits.”
As the story reported, in May, Oregon officials lifted rainbow trout and bass fishing limits at three reservoirs from June through September. That same month, Colorado announced an “emergency fish salvage” at Nee Noshe Reservoir southeast of Denver and called on anglers to help empty the fishery.
These reservoirs are expected to run dry by end of summer.
Thus, we have rated this claim as true.
As many of the online claims detailed, Colorado officials also approved a period of unlimited fishing at Antero Reservoir, which its operator, Denver Water, is deliberately drawing down for the summer to redirect water to another reservoir expected to lose less to evaporation. In addition, while Utah has not lifted fishing limits entirely, the state increased the number of fish people can take from the Crouse Reservoir and Nine Mile Reservoir.
State officials have previously made similar moves in response to drought conditions or reservoirs being drained for maintenance. However, 2026 marks the first year all three of the affected reservoirs in Oregon “have been opened to fishing because of a drought,” according to NBC News.
Oregon Announcements:
Usually, anglers are only allowed to take a daily limit of up to five trout and five bass from reservoirs in southeast Oregon, where the three reservoirs in question are located.
However, on May 28, Oregon Fish and Wildlife posted a news release on its site, titled, “Bag limits lifted for Thief Valley, Pilcher Creek, and Wolf Creek reservoirs starting June 1.” Bag limits refers to the number of fish that an angler can legally catch and keep.
Here’s the first half of the full release, which describes not only the suspension of fishing limits but the drought-specific reasons for doing so (our emphasis):
Effective June 1 through Sep. 30, minimum and maximum size limits as well as the daily and possession bag limits for rainbow trout and bass are suspended for Thief Valley Reservoir, Pilcher Creek Reservoir, and Wolf Creek Reservoir which are all located within the Southeast Zone in Union County. Harvest will be allowed by hand, dip net, or angling. A person with a valid Two-Rod Validation may use any number of rods.
Drought conditions in Eastern Oregon have prompted ODFW’s fish biologists to make this temporary rule change and they hope that it will give anglers a better opportunity to harvest trout and warmwater fish before the reservoir is drained. By implementing this change early in the season, anglers can target these fish before the water gets too warm and angling becomes less effective.
Per the rest of the release, the three reservoirs “are expected to be drawn completely down by the end of August.” Any remaining hatchery trout and warmwater game fish in the reservoir will die due to warm and turbid water, Oregon Fish and Wildlife said.
“While it’s always disappointing to see reservoirs go dry, allowing additional harvest ensures that these fish are used,” said Tyler Hoyt, a fish biologist with Oregon Fish and Wildlife, per the news release.
Colorado Announcements:
Similarly to Oregon, on May 29, Colorado Parks and Wildlife released an announcement on its site titled, “Emergency fish salvage begins June 1 at Nee Noshe Reservoir.”
Here’s a portion of the release (our emphasis):
Due to ongoing drought and reduced reservoir operations, Nee Noshe Reservoir is drying and is not expected to fill in the foreseeable future. Realizing the entire fishery may be lost, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is authorizing a public salvage to optimize use of the fishery resource in accordance with Parks and Wildlife Commission Regulation 104.G.
“Nee Noshe Reservoir is experiencing the effects of ongoing drought and reduced reservoir operations, and current conditions indicate the reservoir is unlikely to refill in the foreseeable future,” said Jim Ramsay, CPW Aquatic Biologist. “With the potential loss of the fishery, this public salvage gives anglers an opportunity to utilize the resource while conditions still allow.”
Nee Noshe Reservoir has “historically offered anglers walleye, saugeye, wiper, channel catfish, crappie and largemouth bass,” according to the news release. Fishers must have a valid Colorado fishing license, but all “size, bag and possession limits” are suspended until officials end the emergency fish salvage.
“Colorado Parks and Wildlife will announce the end date of the emergency public fish salvage when conditions change or the salvage is complete,” the release continued.
For most fish species, Colorado’s statewide fishing regulations limit daily catches to five to 10 of a particular kind of fish, depending on species (see Page 8).
