At Trout Unlimited, we know how critical healthy waters are to the trout and salmon we love and love to fish for.
Lucky for us, our 58.5 million acres of roadless areas across the country provide just that; areas with clean headwaters where the lack of roads prevent erosion, sedimentation and contaminants and provide natural water filtration systems creating healthy aquatic ecosystems.
These healthy ecosystems offer incredible opportunities for fishing and hunting, so safeguarding them is critical.
Unbounded by roads = fish
Roadless areas provide opportunities for firsts as they did for president and CEO of TU, Chris Wood. He caught his first brook trout in Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest and his first wild steelhead in the Tongass National Forest, where roadless lands create pristine spawning and rearing habitat.
These same opportunities exist for any angler looking for a backcountry adventure.
These lands are home to native trout and salmon where 70 percent of them find refuge. This includes cutthroat trout in the Rockies, brook trout in Appalachia and salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest.
Spend time with this map to find roadless areas near you.
After a little map work, gather your fishing gear and get out to any of the thousands of miles of streams pulsing through America’s roadless areas. Fish for native species, create firsts for you or a friend and don’t forget to speak up to protect these important areas.