Blue Ribbon fishery facts for kids

A Blue Ribbon fishery is a special title given to fishing spots in the United States. It means these places are super high quality for fishing fun! Governments and other groups decide which spots get this special name. They use a list of rules, called "criteria," to pick the best ones.

These rules usually look at a few important things:

• Clean Water: The water must be clean and there must be enough of it. This helps fish live and grow well.
• Easy to Reach: People should be able to get to the fishing spot easily. It needs to be open to everyone.
• Lots of Fish: The place should naturally have many fish. It should also be managed so there are always enough fish for people to catch. This means big fish or lots of fish for a great fishing trip.
• Can Handle Fishermen: Many people might want to fish there. The spot must be strong enough to handle lots of anglers without getting ruined.
• Special Fish: Sometimes, a spot gets the "Blue Ribbon" title because it's great for a specific type of fish.

The exact rules can be a little different in each state. For example, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources uses these kinds of rules. Many good fishing spots are called "Blue Ribbon" by people, but they might not have the official title.

States with Official Blue Ribbon Fishing Spots

Some states officially give the "Blue Ribbon" title to their best fishing areas. Here are a few:

• Michigan
• Missouri
• Montana: This state used to have "blue" and "red" ribbon names. Now they use a different system to classify their fishing spots.
• Pennsylvania: They have a special system called Class A Wild Trout Waters.
• Utah
• Wisconsin: They call their best trout streams "Class I."
• Wyoming: This state ranks its fishing spots based on how many pounds of trout are found per mile of river.