Sportfishing Rule Adoption Process | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

View proposals and comments on proposals that were submitted by the public and WDFW staff.
There are two types of rules available for viewing.

Reference ID: DFW945292

Original Rule Proposal See comments

Reference ID: DFW945292
Recreational Opportunities Submission Type: Public
Rules Category: Puget Sound Region Freshwater
Species covered in proposed rule • Trout
Rule to Change: Page 35 of this years pamphlet: In 2010 we adopted a new management strategy that offers additional protection to stocks in streams draining into Puget Sound or the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The basic rule in these waters is that all rivers, streams, and beaver ponds are closed to fishing unless they are listed in the following tables in the Puget Sound and Strait Rivers section of the pamphlet (see pages 37-52). These tables detail ALL of the fishing opportunity in these drainages. Areas open to fisheries are presented by river system unless the waters drain directly to salt water. All other waters in these drainages are closed to fishing. We have provided a map (below) of these watersheds to get you started on locating an area where you would like to fish. There is also an alphabetical list of open areas (see following page and special rules). Remaining westside rivers and all eastside rivers are listed in the conventional format and still fall under the statewide seasons, unless otherwise noted. By definition this stream is currently closed
New Rule Proposal: Cavanaugh Creek and all tributaries, upstream from where it first flows into Whatcom County, 0.4 lineal miles from its confluence with the South Fork Nooksack River. Season first Saturday in June through October. Fly Fishing only, Catch and Release.
Why the change is needed: Cavanaugh Creek and its tributaries, upstream of the canyon immediately above the South Fork Nooksack River, were naturally barren of all fishes. Anadromous salmonids do not access the upper basin because of high waterfalls in a gorge located immediately above the river bottomlands. Maurice Splane introduced Yellowstone cutthroats from Yellowstone Hatchery into the Cavanaugh Creek basin in the 1940’s. Those fish have spread into 7 stream miles of the drainage, where they are abundant. This is one stream in a larger package that will allow for at least 80 more miles of dispersed fishing recreation for sportsmen, while being supportive of managerial goals in this South Fork Nooksack watershed.
Names of individuals or groups with whom you have discussed this change: Brett Barkdull, District 14 Fish Biologist
Describe their support and/or concerns: Support. This proposal was discussed with Brett and edited in order to fit within the framework of the stream strategy adopted in 2010
Submitted by: MULLEN, KEVIN D — SEDRO WOOLLEY, WA Date submitted: 06/12/2012

WDFW Rule Proposal Recommendation

Recommended for Public Comment Reference ID: DFW945292

Rule Change Recommendation Short Title
Resident trout streams open on Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend

Rules Category
Statewide

Type of Rule Change Proposal
Recreational

County or Location Information

Short Description
Open all resident trout streams on Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend where anadromous fish are not present.

Explanation
The two most important times for outdoor recreation are Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. Opening fishing in resident trout streams on Memorial Day weekend would increase recreational benefits that could be provided by these resources.

Region	Stream Name	County	Proposed Open/Closure Dates
1	Rock Creek from Endicott Rd. to the bridge on George Knott Rd. at Revere	Adams/Whitman	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Kettle River tributaries downstream of Barstow Bridge	Ferry	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Sanpoil River and tributaries from headwaters to Colville Confederated Tribes reservation boundary	Ferry	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Sherman Creek (except closed waters listed in Special Rules) and tributaries	Ferry	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Kettle River and tributaries from Barstow Bridge upstream	Ferry/Stevens	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Browns Creek	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Calispell Creek from Calispell Lake upstream	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Calispell Creek tributaries	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Cedar Creek and tributaries	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Indian Creek	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	LeClerc Creek and tributaries	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Little Spokane River upstream of West Branch except closed waters listed in special rules	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Mill Creek and tributaries	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Pend Oreille River tributaries not listed in Special Rules	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Priest Lake tributaries except those listed in Special Rules	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Priest River tributaries	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Ruby Creek and tributaries	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Slate Creek and tributaries	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	South Fork of Salmo River and tributaries	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Sullivan Creek from Mill Pond upstream and tributaries	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Sullivan Creek from mouth upstream to Mill Pond	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Sullivan Lake tributaries except Harvey Creek from mouth to Bridge 4830 on county road (about 1 1/2 upstream)	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Tacoma Creek and tributaries	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Upper Priest Lake tributaries	Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Tributaries to the Spokane River not listed in fishing pamphlet special rules	Spokane/Lincoln/Stevens	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Little Spokane River - upstream of West Branch Little Spokane River	Spokane/Pend Oreille	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Tributaries to the Little Spokane River not listed in fishing pamphlet special rules	Spokane/Pend Oreille/Stevens	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Colville River from town of Valley upstream and tributaries	Stevens	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Colville River tributaries downstream of town of Valley	Stevens	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Little Pend Oreille River and tributaries	Stevens	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
1	Roosevelt Lake tributaries between Grand Coulee Dam and State Hwy. 25 Bridge at Northport - except Barnaby Creek, Nancy Creek, and tributaries listed elsewhere in Special Rules	Stevens, Ferry, Lincoln	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Chikamin Creek	Chelan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Entiat River above Entiat Falls	Chelan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Icicle Creek- from Mouth to Leland Creek	Chelan	Saturday before Memorial Day to September 30
2	Nason Creek - from Smith Brook to Stevens Creek	Chelan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Phelps Creek - from mouth to falls at river mile 1	Chelan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Rock Creek	Chelan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Tributaries to Rufus Woods Lake	Douglas/Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Bonaparte Creek from falls (one mile upstream) upstream, including all tributaries not listed in fishing pamphlet special rules	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Boulder Creek and all tributaries not listed in fishing pamphlet special rules	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Chewuch River - mouth to Eight Mile Creek	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to August 15
2	Lost River - from Monument Creek to Cougar Lake	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Methow River - County Road 1535 to Highway 153 Bridge at McFarland Creek	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to September 15
2	Methow River - Highway 153 Bridge at McFarland Creek to Gold Creek	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to September 30
2	Methow River - Gold Creek to Foghorn Dam	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to September 30
2	Methow River - Foghorn Dam to Weeman Bridge	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to August 15
2	North Fork Salmon Creek	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Okanogan River - upstream of Malott	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to August 31
2	Similkameen River - upstream of Enloe Dam	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Sinlahekin Creek from Palmer Lake to Cecile Creek Bridge	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to August 31
2	Sinlahekin Creek from Cecile Creek Bridge upstream including all tributaries	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Tributaries to Methow River not listed in special rules	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
2	Twisp River from mouth to War Creek	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to August 15
2	West Fork Salmon Creek	Okanogan	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
3	Cooper River	Kittitas	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
3	Upper Cle Elum River and all tributaries not listed in fishing pamphlet special rules	Kittitas	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
3	Bumping River - upstream of Bumping Lake	Yakima	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
3	Deep Creek - upstream of closed section listed in fishing pamphlet special rules	Yakima	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
3	Indian Creek - upstream of closed section listed in fishing pamphlet special rules	Yakima	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
3	North Fork Tieton River	Yakima	Saturday before Memorial Day to August 15
3	South Fork Tieton River- upstream of closed section listed in fishing pamphlet special rules	Yakima	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Boxley Creek (S. Fk. Snoqualmie R.) - upstream of falls locatedat river mile 0.9	King	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Coal Creek - upstream of Interstate 90	King	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Green River- upstream of Friday creek including all tributaries	King	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Pratt River - catch and release selective gear rules	King	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Snoqualmie River - upstream of Snoqualmie Falls, including tributaries of North and South Forks (except Tate, Sunday and Phillapa Creeks)	King	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Taylor River - catch and release selective gear rules	King	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Black Creek - from Bear Creek confluence upstream	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Boulder River from Boulder Falls uptsream	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Chaplain Creek - upstream from falls to the dam at Chapman Lake, including tributaries and beaver ponds	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	East Fork Woods Creek and all tributaries- including beaver ponds, upstream of Old Pipeline Road	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Marsh Creek - upstream from falls, including tributaries and beaver ponds	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	North Fork Skykomish - ustream form Deer Falls, including tributaries	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	North Fork Stilliguamish River- upstream of falls and all tributaries	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	North Fork Tolt River - upstream of falls in Section 26, including tributaries, selective gear rules, catch and release.	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Olney Creek - upstream of Olney Falls, including tributaries and beaver ponds	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Pilchuk Creek and tributaries- from Pilchuk Falls upstream, including tributaries to Lake Cavanaugh	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	South Fork Tolt River - upstream of dam, selective gear rules	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Tokul Creek - upstream of Tokul Road S.E., including all tributaries	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Wallace River - upstream of Wallace Falls, including all tributaries	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Youngs Creek and all tributaries- upstream of Potson Road (299th Ave. SE Bridge)	Snohomish	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Canyon Creek - upstream of Canyon Creek Road Bridge, including all tributaries	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Cavanaugh Creek and all tributaries	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Cherry Creek all tributaries and beaver ponds - upstream of Cherry Creek Falls	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Cumberland Creek and all tributaries - Upstream from Forest Service Road 17	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 32
4	Howard and all tributaries	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Howard Creek and all tributaries	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Middle Fork Nooksack River - upstream of City of Bellingham Diversion Dam, including all tributaries	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	North Fork Nooksack River -upstream of Nooksack Falls, including all tributaries	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	O'Toole Creek - upstream of Marietta Falls	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Plumbago and all tributaries - upstream from Sierra Pacific 140 Road bridge	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Pressentin Creek and all tributaries - upstream from falls at river mile 0.3	Whatcom
4	Roaring Creek and all tributaries - upstream of confluence with Deer Creek	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	Skookum Creek and all tributaries - upstream from confluence with Arlecho Creek	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
4	South Fork Nooksack River - from Wanlick Creek upstream, including all tributaries	Whatcom	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
5	Canyon Creek	Clark	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
5	Bird Creek	Klickitat	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
5	Outlet Creek	Klickitat	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
5	Spring Creek - Goldendale Hatchery	Klickitat	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
5	Little White Salmon River	Skamania	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
6	Dungeness River - from Gold Creek Upstream	Clallam	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
6	Quilcene River - From upper boundary of Falls View Campground upstream	Jefferson	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
6	Hamma Hamma River - from falls upstream	Mason	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
6	Hamma Hamma River - from mouth to 400' below falls - special rules as listed in the fishing pamphlet	Mason	Saturday before Memorial Day to August 31
6	Jefferson Creek	Mason/Jefferson	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
6	South Prairie Creek - form City of Buckley diversion dam (River Mile 15) upstream	Pierce	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
6	Voights Creek - from falls under powerline upstream	Pierce	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
6	Kennedy Creek- from falls (River Mile 41)and all tributaries	Thurston	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31
6	Nisqually River - upstream of Alder Reservoir to the Mount Rainier National Park Boundary	Thurston	Saturday before Memorial Day to October 31

Original Rule Proposal Number(s)
DFW450927
DFW506243
DFW945292
DFW668835
DFW292892
DFW271322
DFW981441
DFW563626
DFW527360
DFW793331
DFW580627
DFW582569

Online Public Comments

Online public comments submitted for this proposal can be found here.

Sportfishing Rule Proposals & Comments