OLYMPIA -- Steelhead fishing will reopen on several Puget Sound and Olympic Peninsula rivers at 12:01 a.m. Saturday (Feb. 7), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today.

The rivers reopening Saturday are the Green, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, North Fork Stillaguamish, Skagit, Cascade, Naselle and Willapa as well as Tokul Creek. The emergency closure around the Bogachiel River hatchery was lifted on Jan. 17.

Sections of the rivers were closed Jan. 5 to ensure enough steelhead eggs were taken to supply WDFW hatcheries.

Beginning Saturday, the winter steelhead regulations listed in the 1997 Fishing in Washington regulation pamphlet are again in effect. Regulations in WDFW's 1998-99 Fishing in Washington pamphlet go into effect May 1.

Emergency statewide wild steelhead release regulations remain in effect until further notice. Fishing near Palmer Ponds, Reiter Ponds and Tokul Creek hatcheries generally are restricted to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., or as posted.