Virtual hearing scheduled on proposed slot limit change for Lake Roosevelt white sturgeon

SPOKANE- State fishery managers will host a virtual public hearing May 29 to discuss plans to adjust the 2025 Lake Roosevelt white sturgeon slot limit, which reflects a size range of fish that anglers can keep, to support fisheries management.  

The proposal adjusts the slot limit from the current 53-63 inches fork length (the distance from the tip of the snout to the center of the fork in the tail) to 55-63 inches fork length. This proposed change is to help maintain a harvest fishery while at the same time minimizing harvest impacts to fish from years when they were released at a smaller size and did not survive as well. The fish produced from wild-caught larvae between 2011 and 2016 as part of the Lake Roosevelt conservation aquaculture program began entering the existing harvest slot this year. Changing the slot will conserve these year classes of fish. 
 
“When we announced changes to the Lake Roosevelt sturgeon fishery in 2023, one of the components of that plan was gradually tightening the slot limit,” said Chris Donley, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Eastern Region Fish Program manager.  
 
The virtual public hearing on the proposal is Thursday, May 29 at 6 p.m. To join, please register in advance. The hearing will include a short presentation on the proposal, the reasoning behind it, and a public comment opportunity. Those who can’t attend the webinar can provide input online, by email, or by leaving a voicemail at 855-925-2801 and entering project code 11129. The deadline to do so is May 29 at 11:59 p.m. WDFW’s Director will decide whether to proceed with the proposed slot adjustment following the end of the public comment period and hearing. 

This public hearing builds on a 2023 public meeting, which outlined changes to the Lake Roosevelt sturgeon season. Refer to WDFW’s white sturgeon web page for more information and to view the original presentation outlining changes to the fishery and the reasoning behind them. 

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.