WDFW to host virtual coastal steelhead town hall Oct. 23

OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will host a virtual town hall meeting on the 2024-2025 coastal steelhead season at 6 p.m. Oct. 23. 

WDFW Fish Program staff will share information on steelhead management, abundance, 2024-2025 season forecasts, and a 2023-2024 season summary. They will present potential fishery options and hear fishery proposals from the public. 

“We have seen an increase in steelhead abundance in most coastal Washington rivers in the past year,” said WDFW Fish Program Director Kelly Cunningham. “While this is encouraging, we remain committed to conserving coastal steelhead while offering meaningful fishing opportunities in future seasons. Public input plays a crucial role in our management of this important species.” 

The town hall will also include preliminary data from a one-year study in the Hoh River to determine wild steelhead impacts while fishing from a floating device. The 2023-2024 season marked the first time since 2020 that anglers were allowed to fish from a floating device on the lower and middle sections of the Hoh River, located in the northern Olympic Peninsula. The upper section of the Hoh has been closed to fishing from a floating device since 2016. 

Members of the public can participate in the Oct. 23 meeting through Zoom, either online or by phone. Meeting materials and information on fishery management, including past town halls, are available on WDFW’s coastal steelhead webpage. 

All members of the public are invited to share their perspectives and participate in WDFW public feedback opportunities regardless of race, color, sex, age, national origin, language proficiency, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, or basis of disability.   

Staff will present information about preliminary forecasts to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in an Oct. 21 special Fish Committee meeting. WDFW plans to host a second virtual town hall meeting in November.  

WDFW continues to operate under its Statewide Steelhead Management Plan, which requires the Department to prioritize the sustainability of wild coastal steelhead runs by focusing on healthy levels of abundance, productivity, diversity, and distribution. 

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.