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

• Cowiche Creek

• 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)

• Naneum Creek

• Swauk Creek

• Teanaway River, including North Fork

• Umtanum Creek

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."