Special Permits Required in Addition to Fishing Contest Permit

The Town of Cusick requires notification for any fishing contests held on Box Canyon Reservoir that plan to use Cusick Public Park and/or the Cusick Boat Launch. If the event involves 20 or more boats, a Cusick Public Park and Boat Launch Permit is required. The permit costs $75 and must be obtained from the Town of Cusick. Event organizers must contact the Town of Cusick at least two weeks in advance. 

For the permit application or any questions, contact the town clerk or mayor at (509) 671-9146 or clerk@townofcusick.com. Mail can be sent to P.O. Box 263, Cusick, WA 99119. City Hall is located at 111 First St. and is open Tuesdays from noon to 6 p.m.

Surveillance cameras are active in the park 24 hours a day. Launch and park fees are $10, or $5 for parking only. For more information, visit www.townofcusick.com/parksrec.

Please note that the Cusick Boat Launch is privately owned by the Town and is not affiliated with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife or Washington State Parks. Discover Passes and Natural Investment Permits are not valid. The Town has not partnered with any fishing associations or RV parks to offer discounts or waived launch or parking fees.

An Oregon Fishing Contest Permit from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife may also be required if any fishing activity is going to take place on Oregon tributaries and sloughs for any Washington fishing contests held on Lake Wallula, Lake Umatilla, Lake Celilo, Bonneville Lake, and the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam.

1. If the contest is limited to 24 or less boats or 49 or fewer participants, a permit is not required. However, the appropriate ODFW district staff must be notified.
2. If the contest has 25 or more boats or 50 or more participants a permit is required. In addition, an Oregon State Board Marine Event Permit is required.
3. Anglers fishing Oregon tributaries and sloughs will need to obtain an Oregon fishing license.
4. Anglers fishing in Oregon tributaries and sloughs will be required to follow Oregon size and bag limits.
5. All bass are to be released in the vicinity of where they were caught.

If there are any questions, you can contact either Terry Shrader – 541.388.6363, ext. 227 or Gary Galovich – 541.757.4186, ext. 244.

Fishing contests held on Duck Lake are required by the City of Ocean Shores to have a marine special event permit. An application for a marine special event permit is obtained at City of Ocean Shores, WA. The completed application should be submitted no later than 60 days prior to holding the fishing contest. The application must be submitted by electronically. It is important to note that the sponsor of the fishing contest must have proof of insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 for the specific dates of the fishing contest indemnifying the City of Ocean Shores. Boating regulations are found at this webpage. For questions call 360-289-3099.

PacifiCorp requires notification of fishing contests being held on Lake Merwin, Yale Lake, and Swift Creek Reservoir that are using PacifiCorp parks. This is necessary to insure that PacifiCorp is aware of the activity, PacifiCorp is able to plan for and accommodate the increased usage, and park guidelines are followed. For more information contact PacifiCorp Recreation at 503-813-6666 or recreation@pacificorp.com.

Tournament participants that want to use City of Bellingham park facilities (i.e., dock, parking lot) will be required to obtain a Special Request Permit. There is a $50 application fee. To obtain a Special Request Permit and/or if there are any questions, please contact Bellingham Parks & Recreation 360.778.7000 or parks@cob.org.

National Park Service

A Special Use Permit to conduct a fishing tournament on Lake Roosevelt may be required if launching from a National Park Service (NPS) administered boat launch site. An application can be requested by email or phone and must be submitted at least two weeks in advance.  However, if the application could be submitted 30 days prior to holding the fishing contest, it would be greatly appreciated. A fee for the permit may be required in advance of the contest. Other park fees for launching and camping must also be paid and associated rules followed. A copy of the WDFW final report for fishing contests must be submitted to the NPS. Contact Julia Treu-Fowler at laro_permits@nps.gov or visit the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area website. 

Colville Confederated Tribes

No special permits or licenses are required if fishing from a boat. However, a tribal license is required if fishing from shore or launching from areas of Lake Roosevelt controlled by the Colville Tribes. For more information call the CCT Fish and Wildlife Department (509-634-2110).

Spokane Tribe

Areas of Lake Roosevelt controlled by the Spokane Tribe and off limits to non-tribal members are posted. If launching from property under the jurisdiction of the Spokane Tribe, call 509-258-9119 (enforcement) for more information.

The U.S. Coast Guard may require a marine event permit for fishing contests that are held on waters defined as navigable. Please see the Thirteenth Coast Guard District webpage for application information. 

For fishing contests held in waters connecting with the Washington Coast, including Lake Washington, Lake Union, Lake Washington Ship Canal, Lake Sammamish, all waters on the San Juan Islands, and the Columbia River and its' impoundments (from the I-90 bridge at Vantage, WA to the Canadian border), contact:

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound
Attn: Marine Event Permits
1519 Alaskan Way S.
Seattle, WA 98134
Phone: (206) 217-6051
Email: SectorPugetSoundWWM@uscg.mil

For fishing contests held on the Columbia River and its' impoundments (up to the I-90 bridge at Vantage, WA), the Yakima River, the Snake River and its' impoundments, the Pend Oreille River, and the Spokane River, contact: 

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River
Attn: Waterways Management – Marine Event Permit
6767 N. Basin Ave.
Portland, OR 97217
Phone: (503) 572-3524  Email: SCRWWM@uscg.mil

The Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) requires notification for fishing contests held on Scooteney Reservoir due to potential impacts to USBR facilities. For contests having 20 boats or less either contact the USBR Ephrata Field Office (Bruce Loranger, 509-754-0210) . For contests having more than 20 boats, the USBR requires a special event permit. This permit is for the land use of Scooteney Park and related facilities. The cost of the permit is $300 ($200 application fee + $100 event fee) and if the event is regularly scheduled, it can be good for up to 5 years. To obtain a special event permit application and/or if there are any questions, please contact Bruce Loranger at the above number or via email at bloranger@pn.usbr.gov.

Fishing contests that want to use facilities at Washington State Parks (i.e., dock, parking lot) for weigh-ins are required to obtain a Special Activities Permit. There is a $45 application fee, and events may be subject to additional fees. Proof of liability insurance is required, and applications must be submitted at least 60 days in advance. To obtain a Special Activities Permit and/or if there are any questions, please contact the staff at the State Park where you plan to hold the event.

A Commercial Use Permit is required for any event on WDFW land if an entry or other type of fee is charged, or when goods or services will be offered for sale or barter (WAC 220-500-060). 

Additionally, a Temporary Use Permit is required for any private or public event on WDFW land involving more than 30 people (WAC 220-500-070). For more information, contact the regional office nearest your event:

Region 1 – (509) 892-1001  TeamSpokane@dfw.wa.gov
Region 2 – (509) 754-4624  TeamEphrata@dfw.wa.gov
Region 3 – (509) 575-2740  TeamYakima@dfw.wa.gov
Region 4 – (425) 775-1311 TeamMillCreek@dfw.wa.gov
Region 5 – (360) 696-6211  TeamRidgefield@dfw.wa.gov
Region 6 – (360) 249-4628  TeamMontesano@dfw.wa.gov