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June 03, 1998
Contact: Madonna Luers, (509) 456-4073
Anglers reminded of new rules on Yakima area waters
Some Yakima area rivers and streams that opened to fishing this week have new
rules this year to protect wild fish. In addition, a few stream sections are closed to all
fishing.
The changes are listed in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
(WDFW) 1998 fishing regulations pamphlet, which anglers should check for all rules
before fishing.
Many waters are now under "selective gear rules" which require artificial flies or
lures only (bait prohibited) with a single barbless hook. Use of the selective gear
reduces the death rate of released wild steelhead and wild resident rainbow, cutthroat,
and bull trout. These waters include:
- Ahtanum Creek, north and middle forks
- American River, including above Rainier Fork)
- Bumping River, below Bumping Lake
- Cle Elum River, below Cle Elum Lake
- De Roux Creek (tributary of North Fork Teanaway)
- Kachess River, below Kachess Lake
- Little Naches River, including lower and upper sections
- Naches River (also has a new 12-inch minimum size limit on trout)
- Teanaway River, including North Fork
Sections of a few streams are completely closed to fishing to protect spawning
and rearing bull trout. These include:
- North Fork of Ahtanum Creek (Grey Rock Trailhead Bridge to Shellneck
Creek)
- Bear Creek (tributary of South Fork Tieton River), about 3/4 mile from mouth
to falls
- Shellneck Creek (tributary of North Fork Ahtanum Creek)
- Union Creek (tributary of American River), about 1/4 mile from mouth to falls
Hatchery trout will no longer be stocked in Oak Creek, a tributary of Tieton
River, to protect native, naturally-spawning cutthroat and rainbow trout. The stocking
change means that statewide fishing rules apply, with an eight-inch minimum size limit
and a daily catch limit of two trout (instead of five, as in the past). Because statewide
rules apply, Oak Creek is no longer listed in the regulations pamphlet under "Special
Rules - Eastside Rivers."
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