Emergency rule changes are critical rule changes that require immediate action and are good for 120 days or less. These are the emergency rule changes filed by WDFW in 2020.
December
- Commercial whale watching of southern resident killer whales
- Puget Sound commercial crab rule
- Lower Columbia River recreational salmon rule
- Columbia River steelhead rule
- Puget Sound commercial crab rule
- Coastal commercial crab rule correction
- Coastal commercial crab rule
- Puget Sound commercial crab rule
- Recreational crab closure in Marine Areas 1 and 2
- Conservation rules implemented on coastal tribuatries
- Puget Sound commercial crab rule
November
- Puget Sound commercial sea urchin fishery
- Closes recreational crabbing in Areas 2 and 2-2
- Adult salmon daily limits increased for many SW Washington Columbia River tributaries
- Puget sound commercial squid fishery
- Hoodsport hatchery zone closes to recreational fishing
- Puget Sound commercial salmon rule
- Puget Sound commercial crab rule
- Adult salmon daily limit increases for Drano Lake
- Cleman Mountain hunt
October
- Puget Sound purse seine and gillnet fisheries
- Lower Columbia River fishery updates
- Salmon fishing to close at Chico Creek and Gorst Creek tidelands
- Puget Sound purse seine and gillnet closures in Areas 10 and 11
- Columbia River commercial fishery below Bonneville Dam
- Closes razor clam season
- Commercial sea urchin fishery
- Puget Sound gill net and purse seine fisheries in Areas 10 and 11
- Coho season extended in the Skagit River
- Puget Sound commercial crab fishery
- Razor clam digs approved Oct. 16 through Oct. 21
- Closes the commercial sea cucumber season
- Closes commercial gillnet and purse seine fisheries in Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Areas 10, 11, 12, and 12B
- Opens recreational crab season in Marine Areas 8-1 and 8-2
- Palix River opens for salmon retention
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Hatchery coho limit to increase in Skagit River
- Columbia River commercial fishery below Bonneville Dam
- Skagit River from Highway 9 to Baker River to temporarily close to all fishing
- Grande Ronde River steelhead fishery
- Lower Columbia River fishery update
- Willapa Bay salmon fall fishery
- Opens coho salmon fishing in Willapa Bay tributaries
- Commercial treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Closes recreational crab in the area of Marine area 12 south of Ayock Point
- Repeals Fire protection measures on WDFW lands
- Adult chinook daily limits increase on the Green, Toutle, North Fork Toutle and Washougal rivers
September
- Yakima River fall salmon fishery to open
- Commercial sea urchin fishery
- Opens Puget Sound commercial crab season
- Salmon seasons updated on upper Columbia River
- Opens Puget Sound recreational crab fishery
- Opens coho retention on the Icicle River and upper Columbia River
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp fishery
- Willapa Bay salmon fall fishery
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp fishery
- Columbia River commercial fishery below Bonneville Dam
- Opens 3 sturgeon retention days on the Columbia River (Wauna to Bonneville)
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Recreational halibut dates added to remainder of season
- Skagit River from Highway 9 Bridge to Baker River to temporarily close to all fishing
- Lower Columbia River salmon fishery update
- Opening of Puget Sound non-spot shrimp commercial fishery
- Delayed openings in Willapa Bay commercial salmon fishery
- Columbia River Treaty fishing regulations
- Extension of Bighorn Sheep season through Oct 31
- Columbia River recreational sturgeon and salmon fishery
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Columbia River commercial fishery below Bonneville Dam
- Closes the coastal commercial crab season
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp fishery
- Commercial sea cucumber fishery
- Daily limits removed from Hatch Lake and McDowell Lake
- Columbia River recreational salmon fishery
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp fishery
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Westport will open for another all depth halibut day on September 11, 2020
- Westport to open for salmon fishing 7 days per week, Chinook limit increasing
- Commercial sea cucumber fishery
- Opportunity to harvest spot shrimp in Marine Area 7-East and 7-West
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp fishery
August
- Voight Creek closure effective September 1, 2020
- Fall Chinook harvest to be allowed in additional section of the Snake River
- Grande Ronde, Snake, Touchet, Tucannon and Walla Walla rivers Steelhead rules
- Closes recreational oyster harvesting at Belfair State Park, Potlatch State Park, Potlatch DNR, and Twanoh State Park beaches, effective Sept. 1
- Columbia River commercial fishery below Bonneville Dam
- Additional all-depth halibut days added in Marine Areas 1 and 2
- Anglers can retain hatchery Chinook in Whatcom Creek
- Puget Sound Gillnet and Purse seine fisheries
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Fall Chinook harvest to be allowed in the Snake River
- Puget Sound gillnet fishery—Closes Area 7C
- Marine Area 7 Chinook opener delayed
- Puget Sound recreational salmon fishery
- Puget Sound clam and mussel seasons close on some Hood canal beaches
- Columbia River treaty fishery below Bonneville Dam
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp fishery
- Puget Sound recreational crab fishery
- Columbia River commercial fishery below Bonneville Dam
- Puget Sound recreational salmon rules
- Puget Sound recreational shrimp fishery
- Closes recreational salmon fishing in Marine Area 4
July
- Baker Lake to close for sockeye
- Puget Sound Commercial sea cucumber fishery
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Upper Columbia River and Lake Wenatchee rules
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp fishery
- Marine Area 1 recreational salmon season to close
- Shrimp fishery closes in Marine Area 12
- Opens summer halibut seasons for Marine Areas 1 through 10
- Closes recreational Chinook harvest in Marine Area 5
- Columbia River treaty fishery
- Lower Columbia River Chinook fishery extended
- Baker Lake opens for sockeye retention
- Columbia River commercial fishery below Bonneville Dam
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp fishery
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Columbia River recreational fishery
- Hanford Reach opens summer Chinook opportunity
- Spot shrimp fishery closes in Marine Area 6 outside Discovery Bay
- Lower Columbia River opens summer Chinook opportunity
- Upper Columbia, Entiat, and Chelan rivers open summer Chinook
June
- Fire protection measures on WDFW lands
- Coastal commercial crab fishery
- Opens Puget Sound recreational crab fishery
- Ocean commercial troll summer seasons set
- Puget Sound recreational salmon season changes
- Snake River steelhead fisheries to close July 1
- Drano Lake and Wind River return to permanent rules
- Recreational shrimp to open in Marine Area 4
- Recreational coastal salmon seasons set
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp rule
- Marine Area 5 lingcod/halibut rule clarification
- Marine Area 4 recreational fisheries return to permanent rules
- Puget Sound recreational shrimp fishery
- Kalama River adult salmon daily limit reduced through July 31
- Klickitat River fisheries return to permanent rules
- Cowlitz anglers must release Chinook through July 31
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Reopens camping in Okanogan and Clark counties
- Hoh River closed to all fishing
- Skagit River to close for sockeye
- Recreational clam, mussel, and oyster fishery scheduled to open on most Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca beaches
- Lake Roosevelt white sturgeon retention season
- Icicle River to open for hatchery spring Chinook
- Repeals the suspension of non-resident recreational fishing license sales
- Reopens camping in Phase 2 counties
- Reopens camping in Klickitat county
May
- Wind River and Drano Lake to close for summer salmon and steelhead retention
- Columbia River sockeye salmon and steelhead seasons
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp fishery
- Tulalip terminal Area salmon fishery changes
- Reopens recreational fisheries in coastal waters
- Puget Sound recreational shrimp fishery
- Closes spring Chinook seasons on Snake River
- Upper Nisqually River closed to fishing until July 1
- Spring Chinook to open on North Fork Nooksack River
- Puget Sound recreational halibut seasons set
- Portion of the Cascade River will close 3 days per week
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp fishery
- Snake River spring Chinook closes in Clarkston area
- Spring Chinook to open for 4 additional days on the Columbia River
- Spring Chinook season to open on Skagit River
- Coastal commercial salmon troll opening
- Many recreational fishing opportunities reopen May 5, 2020
- Spring Chinook to open in portions of the Snake River
- Spring bear season reopens on May 5 and extends to June 30
- WDFW lands reopen to public on May 5
- Columbia River spring Chinook opens above and below Bonneville, plus sockeye in the lower River set
April
- Puget Sound commercial shrimp rule
- Commercial razor clam season opens May 1
- Spring turkey season reopens on May 5
- Coastal commercial crab rule
- Suspension of the sale and issuance of non-resident recreational fishing licenses
- Puget Sound commercial scallop fishery
- Opens Puget Sound commercial trawl and pot fisheries for shrimp
- Closes Puget Sound commercial crab Region 3-3
- Turkey Spring Season Delay
- Spring Bear Season Delay
- Columbia River below Bonneville commercial rule
March
- 2020 Spring Black Bear Season Delay
- Youth and Hunter Education Instructor Turkey Hunts
- River Otter and Bobcat Pelt Sealing
- WDFW Camping and Land Closure
- All recreational fishing and shellfish harvesting closed
- Salmon and steelhead rule changes for several Southwest Washington waters
- 2020 Columbia River Select Area commercial seasons
- Sturgeon retention closes in John Day pool
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Opens recreational salmon in Bellingham Bay fishery area
February
- Willapa Bay tributaries will close to all fishing
- Closes the 2019-2020 commercial sea urchin season
- Razor clam digs approved March 6 through March 11, 2020
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Amends recreational fishing rules for Southwest Rivers
- Columbia River spring Chinook seasons set
- Recreational smelt opener scheduled for Feb. 26
- Barbless hooks required for salmon and steelhead on the lower Columbia River
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Razor clam digs approved Feb. 20 through Feb. 23
- Recreational fishing to close in all waters of the Chehalis River Basin
- Coastal commercial crab fishery
- Puget Sound commercial crab fishery
- Columbia River commercial fishery below Bonneville Dam
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Recreational sturgeon fisheries to close in Bonneville and The Dalles pools
- Recreation eulachon smelt fishery opens for one day on part of the Cowlitz River
- Closes harvest of red sea urchins in Sea Urchin District 1 and Catch Reporting Areas 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B of Sea Urchin District 2
January
- Columbia River treaty fishery above Bonneville Dam
- Razor clam digs approved Feb. 6 through Feb. 12
- Columbia River commercial smelt season opens Mondays and Thursdays, Feb. 3 through Feb. 27
- Hoko River returns to permanent rules
- Puget Sound commercial sea urchin fishery
- Closes Puget Sound commercial crab Region 3-1
- Anglers must release all sturgeon in the McNary Pool
- Closes Puget Sound commercial crab Region 2-East
- Razor clam digs approved Jan. 21 through Jan. 26
- Coastal commercial crab fishery
- Coastal commercial crab rule
- Opens Puget Sound commercial crab Region 2E w/additional reporting requirements
- Puget Sound commercial crab Region 3-1 will remain open until further notice
- Puget Sound commercial crab rule: Region 3-1 to remain open until 6 p.m., Jan. 12
- Puget Sound commercial crab harvest closes in Region 3-1
- Razor clam digs approved for Jan. 8 though Jan. 14