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For more information on
fishing, please contact the
WDFW Fish Program.
360-902-2700
For fishing regulation
questions, e-mail us at:
fishregs@dfw.wa.gov
For all other questions and comments, e-mail us at:
fishpgm@dfw.wa.gov
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Sportfishing Rule Proposals & Comments
View proposals and comments on proposals that were submitted by the public and WDFW staff.
There are two types of rules available for viewing.
for Public Comment |
for further consideration |
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View by Category
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| Reference ID: DFW021077 | | Critical Conservation Need Submission Type: Public | Rules Category:
Puget Sound Region Marine | Species covered in proposed rule
• Other
| Rule to Change:
Chehalis River open to spring chinook below the mouth of the Newaukum River starting May 1. | New Rule Proposal:
Keep Chehalis closed to spring chinook fishing. | Why the change is needed:
The river has a run size of a few thousand (3000?) on a good year and they are particularly vulnerable to harvest as the water drops to low levels and the fish congregate as the summer progresses. The summer of 2009 (I think?) had an extremely warm week where temps stayed above 100F as a high and the Chehalis became critically warm. Chinook in the Newaukum and Upper Chehalis above Doty and below Pe Ell could be found floating in large numbers in the handful of large holes in those systems. The return of spring chinook are fragile to many pressures. Also, with all the desire to maintain true wild runs, this run is just that! It is the only run in Southwest Washington I know of that is free of hatchery influence genetically. One option would be to keep it open to catch and release with no bait allowed. | Names of individuals or groups with whom you have discussed this change:
Paul Johnson, Cody Duncan, Chad Driver, John Henricksen, Peter Wagner, Louie Wagner, Joe Townley, Isaac Fu, David Charhon, Mike Wagner, Cody Webster, Dan Webster, Kim Moore, Rich Hilliker, John Woods, and Tod Phelps. | Describe their support and/or concerns:
No input given | | Submitted by: WALKER, RICHARD R — CHEHALIS, WA Date submitted: 05/11/2012 |
Reference ID: DFW021077 We do not recommend this proposal move forward for public review for several reasons. First, Chehalis River spring Chinook are managed to an escapement goal, as is DFW’s management approach with non-listed Chinook stocks. When surpluses are forecast, fisheries are proposed through the North of Falcon process. Second, the average harvest of spring Chinook in the Chehalis River during the last 10 years when seasons were open was 114 fish, based on DFW catch record card data. These harvest numbers occurred when the average runsize during these years was 2,818 fish. This equates to about a 5% impact to the runsize. In addition, when fisheries are open, they are managed to protect important summer holding areas by opening only the Chehalis mainstem from the confluence of the Newaukum River downstream. Also, fisheries are not extended past June, to avoid critical low water and high temperature periods. Reasons not recommended for further consideration
No online public comments submitted for this proposal.
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