Sportfishing Rule Adoption Process | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

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See proposed rule
language (CR-102)

See summary of recommended rules with summary of
written public comment

Fish & Wildlife Commission
Meeting Feb. 8-9, 2013
2013 – 2014 Sportfishing Rule Proposals – Briefing and Public Hearing. Audio available.

Regulations & Seasons

Sportfishing Rule Changes for 2013-2014

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

Not Recommended
for further consideration

View by Category

Statewide	Coastal Region Freshwater	Statewide Shellfish/Seaweed
Puget Sound Region Freshwater	Coastal Region Marine	Puget Sound Region Marine
Eastern Washington and Columbia Region Freshwater

Puget Sound Region Freshwater

Recommended for Public Comment

# 41. Allow angling in beaver ponds on or adjacent to streams open to angling
Beaver ponds located within or adjoining streams that are currently listed as open to trout and other gamefish follow the same rules and regulations as the stream unless otherwise regulated by special.....

# 42. Change Ebey Lake fishing rules
Change to statewide freshwater general rules and remove from the Westside Lakes special rules section of the regulation pamphlet.

# 43. Convert Long Lake to a year-round fishery
Eliminate this lake as an opening day water and make it a year-round fishery.

# 44. Convert Ohop Lake to a year-round fishery
Eliminate this lake as an opening day water and make it a year-round fishery.

# 45. Change Shady Lake opening date
Open the season on the fourth Saturday in April.

# 46. Reduce waterfowl hunter/angler use conflicts on Fazon & Tennant Lakes Updated 10/18/2012
UPDATED: Change seasons to not allow fishing from a floating device until January 28th -- to coincide with the closing date of waterfowl hunting season.

# 47. Open most tributaries to Ross Lake to angling
Open Ross Lake Tributary Streams and their tributaries from one mile upstream of Ross Lake to headwaters (except Ruby Creek closed and its tributaries open) under the following rules: All Game Fish: J.....

# 48. Require seasonal use of single point barbless hooks to protect Lake Sammamish Kokanee
Daily bag limit of five trout remains the same but to protect kokanee, only single point barbless hooks will be allowed from January 1 through April 30.

# 49. Increase daily bag limit on Cascade Creek brook trout Updated 10/18/2012
UPDATED: Provide a season for Cascade Creek (on Orcas Island, from mouth to Cascade Lake) from the first Saturday in June through October 31, with selective gear rules and a 10 fish daily limit. .....

# 50. Increase angling opportunity on the South Fork Nooksack River
South Fork Nooksack River and all tributaries, upstream from and including Wanlick Creek. Season first Saturday in June through October. Fly fishing only, catch and release.

# 51. Open Minter Creek to trout fishing
Open Minter Creek to trout fishing the first Saturday in June-October 31 with selective gear rules, a minimum size 14 inches and a 2 fish daily limit.

# 52. Deschutes River year-round fishery
Modify the fishing season for the section from Old Highway 99 Bridge on Capitol Boulevard (in city of Tumwater) upstream to the Henderson Boulevard Bridge near Pioneer Park so that trout fishing is op.....

# 53. Shorten fishing season on Channel Creek to protect spawning sockeye
Change the fishing season to the first Saturday in June through August 30, with statewide rules for minimum size and daily limit.

# 54. Open a selective gear rules trout fishery in the lower Skagit River
Open a trout fishery from the mouth to Highway 536 Memorial Bridge from March 1 through May 31. Anglers must use hooks with a 1/2 inch gap (approximately a size 2 hook) and follow selective gear rules.....

# 55. Close angling on Hutchinson Creek
Close to fishing to protect wild steelhead

# 56. Extend night closure and anti-snagging rules on the Wallace River
Extend night closure and anti-snagging rules from the mouth (farthest downstream railroad bridge) to 363rd Avenue SE/Reese Road (Dike Road)from June through February 15.

# 57. Change to selective gear rules on Canyon Creek to protect wild summer steelhead
Require selective gear rules in Canyon Creek to reduce hooking mortality of wild summer steelhead.

# 58. Quilcene trout retention
Remove the current regulation requiring catch and release and allow retention of trout from Rodgers Street to Highway 101 with a daily bag limit of 2 and a minimum length of 14 inches.

# 59. Change harvest regulation on Clover Creek for salmonid smolt protection
Change the minimum length to 14 inches and require selective gear rules.

Not Recommended for further consideration

DFW079121
allow night fishing for catfish, and brown bullhead in region 4 lowland lakes at wdfw boat launches and other wdfw lowland lake fisheries in region 4.

DFW111966
Allow Whatcom Creek to remain open until end of December for salmon fishing, with a requirement for all steelhead caught to be placed in hatchery tube. This would allow for more hatchery steelhead, a...

DFW214314
Propose to make game fish rules covered by Ereg during 2012-13 permanent.

DFW249550
*All species - Selective gear rules Trout - Year-round - Min. size 18" - Daily limit 1. Other game fish - Year-round - Statewide min. size/limit

DFW282576
Proposed rule: Skagit River (Entire River and Tributaries below fish barriers) - All resident steelhead (rainbow trout) must be immediately released when fishing in the Puget Sound rivers which have ...

DFW327431
Last week in May to Jan. 31st

DFW351364
All resident steelhead (rainbow trout) must be immediately released when fishing in The Puget Sound Steelhead ESA listed rivers and in Wild Steelhead Management Zones. Selective gear is required when...

DFW359813
Apply whitefish fishing rule to on the Carbon, White and Little Puyallup through the month of February, instead of curtailing all fishing opportunity in January.

DFW481118
For all waters that are open for targeting steelhead at anytime of the year would be managed under selective gear rules (SGR)during winter or summer seasons.

DFW526457
opening south praire creek for general fishing from the carbon river , upstream, selective gear rules and if needed, catch and release only..............thank you

DFW531331
martha lake(wb), snohomish county, trout: catch and release, open year round, selective gears rule in affect.

DFW539213
Implement no bait single barbless hook rule from Mosquito lake rd. bridge to Nooksack falls

DFW583025
Selective gear rules, maximum hook gap of 1/2 inch (size 2 approximately) required during any time periods Skagit is only open to trout and other gamefish. Rule would be superseded by applicable salm...

DFW616241
For Lake Sixteen in Skagit County. All species - Selective gear rules - Internal combustion motors prohibited Trout - Year-round - Min. size 18" - Daily limit 1. Other game fish - Year-roun...

DFW627799
Revert to previous regulation allowing year-round fishing, with special gear restrictions, in Skagit River downstream of Mt. Vernon.

DFW631430
Lures such as spinners and spoons that require constant retrieval to be effective do not need to be suspended below a float.

DFW685875
All resident steelhead (rainbow trout) must be immediately released when fishing in The Puget Sound Steelhead ESA listed rivers and in Wild Steelhead Management Zones. Selective gear is required when...

DFW706843
Whatcom Lake Region4 - species- trout & Kokanee & other gamefish except Bass season rule- 4th sat in Apr -Oct31 additional rules - statewide min. size/daily limit. Release CUTTHROAT. Whatcom La...

DFW745624
Special Rules: SNOHOMISH RIVER...Sat. before Memorial Day in May - Jan. 31

DFW756541
Designate the entire Skagit River watershed as a Wild Steelhead Management Zone and manage for improving stock abundance, diversity and recovery.

DFW809852
For Lake Sixteen in Skagit County, all species-Selective gear rules-Internal combustion motors prohibited. Trout year around, Minimum size 18". Daily limit 1. Other game fish- Year around Statew...

DFW831906
I think that the state should sell raffle tickets to allow 20 or 30 people the ability to fish Minter Creek for Chinook and Coho Salmon. Whoever wins the raffle should be allowed to keep 1 of either s...

DFW865197
do away with this, what are you thinking ? 200-400 people on a busy day all trying to float fish ? It'll never work we now have to pay to access this fishery $125 for the last three years on top o...

DFW935223
Designate the entire Skagit River watershed as a Wild Steelhead Management Zone and manage for improving stock abundance, diversity and recovery.

DFW937303
Lake Samammish, 5 trout limit daily two of which may be kokanee.

DFW938950
My proposed rule change is to make Lost Lake a Quality fishery with selective rules, no Bait, Lure with single Barbless hook or Fly with barbless hook, change retention to One Trout over 16 inches, le...

DFW981781
Open Skagit River below Hwy. 536 at Mt. Vernon to year round for searun cutthroat trout.