Is Bowfishing Legal: All 50 States Revealed!

I figured to compile this invaluable list on bowfishing within the United States because I’ve seen many people looking for whether bowfishing is legal in their state. I can tell you that yes, bowfishing is most likely legal in your state, but to what degree, we will cover each of the 50 states in this article.

Disclaimer: The laws and regulations constantly change when it comes to bowfishing in each state. Feel free to use this as a general guide, but please, do your own research and check to see if anything changes. Your best bet is to speak with a DNR official who can give you the latest information.

Alabama

Yes, bowfishing is legal in the state of Alabama. Bowfishing has become one of the fastest growing segments of archery in the state, and you can take non-game fish here, but you can’t bowfish for the game species in Alabama.

Some of the fish that you can bowfish for in Alabama include:

Freshwater drum
Gar
Alligator gar

Shortnose gar
Spotted gar
Grass carp

Common carp
Catfish
Buffalo

A lot of bowfishermen prefer to go bowfishing in the summer months because of the weather being better than in the spring. That said, they do experience some water issues during this time. To learn more check out the official government site to stay up to date here.

Alaska

Yes, bowfishing is legal in the state of Alaska. In some parts where they consider the northern pike an invasive species, you can even bowfish for northern pike. Check your local regulations to make sure that it is legal in your area.

Some of the fish that you can take in Alaska include:

Carp
Gar
Burbot

Suckers
Buffalo

While you can fish non-game fish species in Alaska, you cannot bowfish game species, with the exception of northern pike in certain areas.

Please look at the state regulations to know the most current and up-to-date information on it.

Arizona

In the state of Arizona, you can legally bowfish for a number of fish, but carp are the easiest to come by. Ol’ Bugle Lip, as they have sometimes been nicknamed, can be found throughout the Grand Canyon State. The Game and Fish Department loves when people take carp because they damage our local waterways and reproduce in high numbers.

Some of the fish that you can bowfish in Arizona include:

Tilapia
Goldfish
Buffalo

Carp
Shad

You can learn more about Arizona state fishing regulations here.

Arkansas

Yes, you can legally bowfish for several fish species in Arkansas, but like many of the other states, you can only take the rough fish. Some of the rough fish that you can take in Arkansas include:

Gar
Bowfin

Grass carp
Bighead carp
Asian carp

Silver carp
Bullheads
Suckers

Drum
Catfish
Buffalo

Important to note: You can take alligator gar in the state of Arkansas, but you need to have a permit to take them.

If you’d like to learn more about bowfishing regulations in the state of Arkansas, check out here for urther information.

California

California restricts bowfishing to only carp. You can only bowfish carp in California. In addition, you have other regulations that you must follow in California, such as you can only bowfish at the following lakes when they’re open for fishing:

Hodges
El Capitan
Sutherland

Lower Otay
San Vicente

When bowfishing, please be aware that special conditions apply in the Golden State. For example, children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. All carp taken must be removed from the property, and you cannot put them in the trash cans or disposing of them at the boat launch or shoreline.

You also cannot bowfish for carp in areas with nesting water birds. The law prohibits bowfishing within 30 meters of anyone outside of your vessel. Understanding the lakes where you can bowfish in California goes a long way to staying legal because you can only do it here at certain places.

Colorado

You just need a valid fishing license to go bowfishing in the state of Colorado. Keep in mind, the state prohibits crossbow bowfshing because of its classification as a firearm. They do make exceptions for people who get a special disabled person’s permit.

Bowfishermen can shoot a number of fish species in the state, which include:

Grass carp
Common carp
Northern pike

Gizzard shad (east of continental divide)
Longnose sucker (east of continental divide)
Whitenose sucker (east of continental divide)

Kokanee salmon (when in the legally permitted season)

You should contact a Parks and Wildlife official and ask them about the location that you intend to fish. This is a good practice in general because it keeps you from running into the law. If you’d like to learn more about bowfishing in Colorado, check out the regulations here.

Connecticut

Connecticut allows you to legally take carp from bowfishing in the state. In Connecticut, you can go bowfishing for saltwater fish as well, and the common fish bowfished here include:

Carp
Lampreys
Suckers

Eels

Like in Colorado, Connecticut prohibits the use of a crossbow. If you’d like to learn more about bowfishing in Connecticut, click here.

Delaware

You can legally bowfish in Delaware with several species available, such as snakeheads, blue catfish, flathead catfish, walking catfish and grass carp. After you have shot any fish, never release them back into the waters because this is illegal. The fish will die after you have shot them. Not only that, but the fish you bowfish tend to be invasive, which makes it illegal to release them.

Before you go bowfishing here, you may want to contact a local wildlife official to get the most up-to-date information on bowfishing. In addition, while you can bowfish on some lakes, they might make it illegal on others. Check carefully. To learn more, check out this resource here.

Florida

Yes, you just have to buy a fishing license to get started bowfishing in Florida. Think carefully about whether you will do freshwater or saltwater fishing because you will need to have that specific license to do bowfishing there. In other words, you can’t have a freshwater fishing license and do saltwater bowfishing. You have some saltwater fish that you can bowfish in Florida as well. Some of the fish species that people like to bowfish here include:

Common carp

Bowfin
Catfish
Tilapia

Mullet
Gar (no alligator gar)
Shiners

Sheepshead
Stingray

The Gulf Coast tends to be the better choice for saltwater bowfishing in Florida. In particular, check out the Emerald Coast. For freshwater bowfishing in Florida, check out the St. John’s river area.

Georgia

You just need a sport fishing license to go bowfishing in Georgia. Legislature doesn’t allow for poison or exploding arrows. In addition, you can’t discharge arrows within 150 feet of anyone else doing other means of recreation.

For legal hours with bowfishing in Georgia, you must take fish from sunrise to sunset. However, they do allow for you to take non-game fish species at night in reservoirs over 500 acres with bowfishing lights. You cannot take channel or flathead catfish in Georgia because they consider it a game species.

If you want to know what fish you can bowfish here, just think of the non-game fish species.

Hawaii

Bowfishing in Hawaii classifies as the same thing as spearfishing. Watch the legal size limit of the fish, and you want to check to see that the fish you target remains in season.

Some of the bowfishing regulations remain unclear, and to be safe, you may want to speak with a DNR official to make sure that you remain within the law. It’s not as popular here, which is probably why the information is so scarce about it, but people have said it is legal.

Idaho

As long as the body of water is open to fishing, you can bowfish on it in Idaho. Be aware, you can only take the non-game fish species in Idaho. This means the carp, suckers and tench. You need to have a fishing license to go bowfishing in the state of Idaho. As long as the fish are a non-game fish species, you can fish them here.

Idaho doesn’t have any regulations or laws around the types of arrow tips, weights or arrow types that you can use here. You also don’t have any rules about the bows such as let-offs or draw weight.

Please be aware, however, that while the laws in Idaho for bowfishing are quite lax, it remains illegal to do chumming for any type of fish here.

Illinois

In Illinois, you can bowfish here legally. You can bowfish from a boat that uses manual, mechanical or sail power. Some people have gotten a ticket while in the boat with a boat because it was strung. To clarify, this law makes it so that you must have the bow unstrung while the boat is in operation. For a compound bow, you need a case for it while the boat is in operation.

You can take the following fish in the state of Illinois:

Bowfin
Gar

Carp
Suckers
Buffalo

In season, Illinois considers bullfrogs fair game too. If you’d like to learn more about bowfishing in the state of Illinois, check out this resource.

Indiana

Indiana lets you bowfish on all waters unless they state otherwise in an ordinance or at specific state-owned or privately owned waters. Please be aware, you cannot bowfish within city limits in Indiana that have ordinances against firing weapons.

They also prohibit shooting from bridges and roadways for fish. Most of the time, Indiana doesn’t enforce its laws like this as long as you don’t cause a public disturbance or dump fish at places like landings.

Because of its newness to Indiana, many DNR don’t know the rules and regulations, so you may want to carry the official handbook for rules and regulations.

Some of the fish that you can bowfish in Indiana include:

Carp

Buffalo
Bowfin
Shad

Gar
Suckers

You can take these fish from streams, rivers, reservoirs, ponds and lakes.

Iowa

Yes, you can legally bowfish in Iowa. You do need a sports fishing license to bowfish here, but outside that, you don’t anything else to be legal. You can take the non-game fish species in Iowa, which also means the rough fish like the carp, the gar, bowfin, buffalo and catfish.

Iowa bowfishing laws let you bowfish on rivers, reservoirs, public lakes and private ponds. If you bowfish anywhere private, please seek permission first.

Kansas

Unless posted as prohibited, Kansas lets you bowfish all waters. You must possess a valid fishing license, and be aware of how the laws and regulations can vary from one body of water to the next.

You can’t bowfish for channel catfish, blue catfish or flathead catfish in streams and rivers, but you can take them in other waters where no length limit applies.

In Kansas, you can use crossbows for bowfishing without the need for anything special. Arrow restrictions do apply here. You must have barbed heads, and the arrow must attach to a line. Kansas law doesn’t permit you to bowfish within 50 yards of boat launches, boats or public-use areas.

Kentucky

You can legally bowfish in Kentucky year round. However, Kentucky law only allows you to bowfish the non-game fish species. In other words, you can bowfish the rough fish like gar, buffalo, carp and others.

Bowfishermen are permitted to shoot fish from 200 yards of the dam, unless they have made this a restricted area.

The fish that you can most commonly bowfish in Kentucky include:

Paddlefish

Grass carp
Asian carp
Common carp

Bighead carp
Alligator gar

Please be aware of the limits that you can bowfish here. For example, you can take up to 15 catfish per day and 2 paddlefish per day. To learn more, visit here.

Louisiana

Popular in Louisiana, nothing feels more exhilarating than bowfishing on the Louisiana Bayou. Important to note, if you plan to bowfish in saltwater, you need a saltwater fishing license. If you plan to bowfish in freshwater, you will need a freshwater fishing license. You don’t need anything special outside of that.

In Louisiana, they don’t let you shoot game-fish species. Some of fish species that you can shoot include:

Black drum

Catfish
Garfish
Flounder

Sheepshead
Alligator gar
Redfish (16-inch minimum length and only 5 per person)

Maine

In the state of Maine, you can only bowfish in tidal water. In addition, you can bowfish for carp in the tidal rivers, and you can bowfish for suckers from April 1st to June 30th. You can do this in any of the streams, rivers or that allow spearfishing.

For the arrows in Maine, they must be pronged or barbed and attach to the bow with a bowfishing line. You also must pay $2 for the license to bowfish. The restrictions here seem somewhat strange, and it would be advisable to contact a local official.

It’s strange because unlike other states, Maine makes it difficult to take care of even the invasive fish species like the carp.

Maryland

The state of Maryland has relaxed bowfishing laws. Let’s sum it up with what you cannot bowfish here to get an idea of what you can bowfish. You cannot bowfish for:

Walleye
Muskellunge

Tiger muskellunge
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike

Striped bass hybrid
Striped bass
Largemouth bass

All trout species
All muskellunge hybrids

With the exception of these fish, Maryland lets you bowfish everything else.

Massachusetts

Yes, you can legally bowfish for carp in the state of Massachusetts. With inland waters, please be aware of how you can only take carp, eels and suckers. In Massachusetts, you cannot release arrows within 150 feet of a road or highway. You also cannot release arrows within of dwellings or occupied boats.

You can learn more here.

Michigan

Yes, you can bowfish quite literally all year in Michigan. The only places where the state prohibits fishing is at the trout lakes and the designated trout streams. Some of the fish that you can bowfish in Michigan include:

Asian carp
Common carp
Grass carp

Bighead carp
Longnose gar
Bowfin

Bullheads
Drum
Gizzard shad
Goldfish
Burbot
Bigmouth buffalo
Whitefish
Cisco
Smelt
Suckers

Minnesota

They allow night bowfishing only on select lakes. Acquaint yourself with these lakes before you head out. For bowfishermen over the age of 16, you must have a license. You can bowfish for rough fish day or night on a statewide level.

Please be aware how lakes like Lake Minnetonka have specific laws and regulations around bowfishing. For example, they only allow it under certain conditions. To find the specific places where you can legally bowfish in Minnesota, contact your local DNR official. They can point you to a nearby area for it.

In Minnesota, you cannot use a crossbow except with a permit. The season for bowfishing begins on May 1 and ends on the last Sunday in February.

You do have limits on certain fish that you can take in Minnesota, such as:

100 bullheads
50 suckers
50 redhorse
No limit on other rough fish

Bowfishing boats must use an electric trolling motor.

Mississippi

Mississippi even encourages people to hit the waters a night to control the state’s rough fish. Yes, bowfishing in Mississippi is legal. You cannot, however, bowfish for the game-fish species like bass, crappie and bream because state law protects them.

You can bowfish catfish here as well. The fish legal for shooting in Mississippi include:

Carp
Gar
Bowfin
Buffalo

Mississippi especially encourages you to target the invasive fish species like the Asian silver carp. Despite the allowance, like in any state, dispose of the fish that you kill respectably by either eating them or through other smart methods.

Missouri

In Missouri, you can legally pursue any non-game fish species, which includes:

Carp
Suckers
Gar
Buffalo
Drum
Carpsuckers

You can also bowish for certain types of game fish, such as bluegill and green sunfish. You will need a fishing license to bowfish in Missouri. In fact, you will most likely need this in any of the states.

Montana

With a fishing license, you can legally bowfish carp and the other non-game fish species. They especially encourage carp shooting because of how this invasive fish species has wreaked great ecological damage. Especially up by the Canyon Ferry Reservoir, they need more bowfishermen to control the carp populations. You have a lot of guys who do it, but they still need more bowfishermen.

The one thing that you need to understand about bowfishing in Montana is that they have only made it legal east of the divide. Bowfishermen also commonly target paddlefish in different regions of the state.

Nebraska

Nebraska lets you bowfish with any hand-drawn bow, which includes the compound bow. You can bowfish with a crossbow here too without the need for a permit. If you want a bowfishing haven, Nebraska has some of the laxest laws on bowfishing. In fact, it’s one of the few states, along with New Mexico, where you can bowfish for game fish.

You should, however, understand how you have a bag and size limit on the gamefish species. The same rules apply.

Important to note: You have a time frame that you can legally bowfish in Nebraska. You can only shoot game fish with the bow from sunrise to sunset from July 1 to December 31 . Along with that, you can shoot the non-game fish species all year-round and at any time of the day or night.

With bowfishing, you cannot kill any of the fish and throw them back in the water legally. It may sound like a gesture to feed the other fish, but this breeds diseases in the water, so they request that you either eat them or dispose of them in the garbage disposal. Do not dispose of them at the boat landing. This gives bowfishermen a bad reputation.

Nevada

The only fish that you can legally shoot in the state of Nevada at the carp. Carp populations here need controlling, and to give you an idea of how badly it is needed, one bowfishermen reported shooting 148 carp between him and his wife from just four hours of shooting. That should say a lot.

New Hampshire

You can legally bowfish in New Hampshire in the open game fish waters, but they prohibit bowfishing in trophy bass waters and special trout areas. Have a valid fishing license with you to bowfish here. While you cannot bowfish for the game fish species in New Hampshire, they do allow you to bowfish for the non-game fish species like the carp and suckers, but take this information with a grain of salt.

Before you go out, please contact your local DNR official about bowfishing and what fish you can fish here because some of the laws are too obscure around bowfishing, and it requires a further follow-up to be certain.

New Jersey

You need a fishing license to go bowfishing in New Jersey. The state lets you bowfish with crossbows without needing a permit. In New Jersey, they allow bowfishing on any public lake, but you can’t bowfish on trout-stocked waters.

When bowfishing in New Jersey, bring the public handbook with you because some state officials may try to argue with you here. You need to show proof of the rules because some people don’t know it. Beware of ordinances on the discharge of weapons because some cities in New Jerseys are sure to have laws against discharges within city limits even with bowfishing.

Chumming isn’t illegal in New Jersey, but using corn is frowned upon because fish can’t digest, and it kills them. Be aware of that if you decide to chum before bowfishing in New Jersey.

Warning: Before you bowfish in New Jersey, it would be wise if you were to contact your local DNR official because while they allow bowfishing here, some people have reported having unfriendly encounters with either the DNR or the locals. Always be respectful and understand the laws of where you will go so that they can’t cause you any problems.

New Mexico

Like Nebraska, New Mexico has relaxed bowfishing laws to where you can even bowfish for some of the game fish species. You can basically shoot anything here that swims and is a fish. However, remain alert to the fact that you can only do this with restrictions.

The bag limits on bowfishing for game fish species are the same as with angling. You must have arrows attached to a line. In addition, be aware of how some local ordinances may apply. Check with your local DNR before heading out to ensure that you don’t get ensnared in a local law that you weren’t aware of.

One of the awesome places where you can bowfish in New Mexico is Caballo Lake near Consequences, New Mexico. You can pierce tons of carp here, which does a public service to the local wildlife. Before you head out, you will need to have a fishing license.

New York

You can bowfish legally on any state waters where fishing is legal in the state of New York and where they have allowed for use of the bow. Beware of doing bowfishing on lakes within city limits because it can expose you to a certain legal danger.

Warning: In any state, catch and release with the bow is prohobited because bowfishing kills the fish, and it can expose other fish to diseases. Don’t do this.

In New York, you can take carp from state waters from May 1st to September 30th. You can take an unlimited number of carp as well.

North Carolina

In North Carolina, you can legally bowfish here, and bowfishermen tend to target three main species:

Longnose gar
Carp
Bowfin

You can also take catfish in the state of North Carolina. Be aware, however, they do not let you legally take the game fish here like the trouth, the sunnies, the bass and the beam. Only the non-game fish species are allowed.

North Dakota

Yes, you can legally bowfish in the state of North Dakota. Be aware that you must dispose of the fish properly after shooting them. Don’t put them up on the boat landing because they will rot here and stink up the place.

You can legally bowfish at night in the state of North Dakota with bowfishing lights. Keep in mind, you can only bowfish the rough fish in North Dakota, which means the carp, the gar, the suckers and the buffalo. You have some great places to go bowfishing for carp in North Dakota like Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge.

Ohio

You may be asking yourself, “Is bowfishing legal in Ohio?” Yes, you can legally bowfish here, and you have a number of fish that you can target. The bowfishing targets in Ohio include:

Dogfish
Buffalo suckers
Carp
Gar
Drum
Suckers
Frogs
Southern alligator snapping turtle

You have seven different turtle and tortoise species in Ohio, but the one that you would want to bowfish is most likely the southern alligator snapping turtle.

Carp is a preferred target with bowfishing no matter where you are because they threaten to overrun our waters, and they’re an invasive species.

Oklahoma

Can you legally bowfish in Oklahoma? In most of the streams and rivers, you can legally bowfish here. You do have some exceptions to the rule, and before you set out to a local water, please contact a DNR official to be sure. Examples of where you cannot bowfish include the Illinois River and all Corps of Engineers Reservoirs unless they have posted it as legal.

You need to have a fishing license in Oklahoma, whether a resident or non-resident to bowfish here.

Arrows here can have no more than three points and no more than two barbs. The fish that you can bowfish in Oklahoma include all the non-game fish species. Certain regulations apply to the paddlefish. You can take paddlefish, but you have to take them during a specific season.

Oregon

Is bowfishing legal in Oregon? A relatively new sport in the state of Oregon, you can only fish the non-game freshwater fish species here. This includes:

Suckers
Carp
Bullfrogs
Northern Pikeminnow
Sculpin
Chub

You can bowfish in saltwater here too, and your species include:

Cabezon
Rockfish
Lingcod
Perch
Flounder
Greenling
Sole

You don’t need a license if you go after bullfrogs, but you need a license for everything else. Be aware that while you can bowfish for suckers, they don’t allow it in Klamath and Lake Counties.

Pennsylvania

Yes, you can legally bowfish in the state of Pennsylvania. You can use anything here from a recurve to compound bow. The state lets you shoot with crossbows too. In Pennsylvania, they do not let you shoot gar or drum or the other rough fish.

In the State of Independence, you can only bowfish for suckers and carp.

Rhode Island

Yes, you can bowfish for non-game fish species in Rhode Island. Contact your local DNR official to learn more about the exact laws and regulations here at +1 401-222-4700.

South Carolina

Ever wondered, “Is bowfishing legal in South Carolina?” Yes, you can bowfish for fish non-game fish species in the state of South Carolina. You can do this with a recurve bow, compound bow or even a crossbow. You will need a recreational fishing license unless you plan to sell what you catch. Then you will need a commercial fishing license.

In South Carolina, the bowfishing season lasts year-round, and you can bowfish on all freshwater lakes, with the exception of the SCDNR Managed State Lakes, which is only 18 lakes.

Keep in mind, in South Carolina, they don’t let you shoot the grass carp. You can shoot the other carp, but you cannot shoot grass carp.

South Dakota

You have a limited number of lakes where you can legally bowfish across the state. Before you head out, contact the local DNR to make sure that you will be legal.

Some people in South Dakota take bowfishing seriously to the diehard level. It can be more fun than regular fishing because the hunt is as much fun as shooting. You can take rough fish any time of the day or night at any time of the year in South Dakota. For game fish, you can take them from June 15th to March 15th.

Please acquaint yourself with the local regulations because it can vary, especially with the game fish. Still, South Dakota has relatively lax laws toward game fish because most states don’t let you bowfish for the game fish at all. The Asian silver carp is an especially targeted fish for bowfishing in South Dakota.

Tennessee

Is bowfishing legal in Tennessee? Yes, you just need a fishing license, and you can get started. You cannot bowfish for the game fish species in Tennessee.

When it comes to bowfishing in Tennessee, it falls under the same laws as spearfishing, gigging, grabhooking and snagging. They especially target carp here, which have overtaken some of the waters.

What fish can you bowfish in Tennessee? Some of the fish that you can target here include:

Carp
Buffalo
Northern hogsucker
Dogfish
Bowfin
Gar
Suckers

You do have some special things to be aware of in Tennessee. For example, you can take many of the rough fish, but this excludes the alligator gar and sturgeon. You can shoot skipjack, paddlefish and catfish, but be aware of the local limits on them. Bowfishermen face the same limits here as anglers. To give you an example, you might have a law where they only let you take one catfish at 34 inches each day.

Texas

Is bowfishing legal in Texas? Yes, you can bowfish on the coastal waters of the state, and at most large lakes and rivers. You can take fish with a recurve, crossbow, compound bow or longbow.

They had previously allowed for you to shoot catfish, but they have made it illegal once more. Please, check this before you decide to try it. The laws can change from time to time. Before you go bowfishing, check with the local authorities to make sure that you remain within the legal limits.

You can’t bowfish on lakes within a state park or a state park property. Also, they have made it illegal to bowfish on community fishing lakes.

Some of the fish that you can bowfish in Texas include:

Gar
Buffalo
Suckers
Carp
Stingrays
Mullet
Bowfin
Sheepshead

Basically, you can take any non-game fish species in Texas. They only allow you to take one alligator gar per day with bowfishing, but beware because this could eventually change to where you can’t take them at all. Check with local officials before you head out to bowfish for alligator gar. The state is famous for having some of the biggest in the nation, and they may want to protect them at some point.

Utah

Yes, you can bowfish in the state of Utah. The Beehive state only lets you target carp, however. You need to check with local authorities before you go bowfishing on a lake here because it varies from one body of water to the next.

Utah lets you bowfish all year round.

Vermont

Vermont requires that you hold a combination license to bowfish in the state. The arrows must be attached to a line. To learn more about the regulations in Vermont, contact the DNR at +1 802-828-1000.

Virginia

Not only is it legal, but bowfishing has even grown in popularity in the state of Virginia within the last few years.

You can take four fish species in the state of Virginia, which include:

Common carp
Longnose gar
Bowfin
Catfish

With the bowfin and catfish, they only let you take them below the Fall-line. They do not let you bowfish in trout-stocked waters in Virginia.

Washington

Washington only lets you bowfish for carp. One cool thing about Washington, check this before going to make sure the laws haven’t changed, but you don’t need a license to bowfish. They don’t let you use gaffs in Washington State either.

If you want to know of a great resource to find lakes, check out this one.

West Virginia

To bowfish here, you need to have a fishing license. For people from out of state, you will need to have a hunting license if you want to use the bow. You can take carp in West Virginia all year round.

With other non-game fish species, you can shoot them, but you cannot bowfish for them in June and May. The same laws that apply to anglers apply to bowfisherman. You must know the laws because ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law.

Wisconsin

To get started, you just need a fishing license. You can only shoot the rough fish in America’s Dairyland. This includes fish like:

Common carp
Gar
Bowfin
Sea lamprey
Smelt
Shad
Asian carp
Goldfish

Bowfishing basically classifies as spearfishing in a lot of states. As you’ll see, the bowfishing regulations here are quite simple.

Wyoming

Is bowfishing legal in Wyoming? Yes, you can legally bowfish in the state of Wyoming. They only let you bowfish for the rough fish here, however. Carp is the most common fish to bowfish in the state of Wyoming. The season never closes, so you can go out all year round.

In Wyoming, you can take fish with either a bow or crossbow. In terms of the fish that you can bowfish in Wyoming, they include:

Asian silver carp
Common carp
Grass carp
Buffalo
Suckers
Gar
Freshwater drum

Especially if you can, shoot the carp because they have overtaken the waters across the nation. Whatever fish that you choose to take in any state, please check with your local laws and regulations. Again, this only serves as a general rule of thumb because of how the bowfishing laws are subject to change. In every state, however, you can blowfish to some degree or another.