WDFW invites public comment on rule making for Lake Roosevelt white sturgeon season

SPOKANE – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) invites the public to attend a virtual hearing and submit input on a proposed rule change to the white sturgeon fishing season on Lake Roosevelt in northeast Washington.

Since 2018, the fishery has opened in mid-June and closed in September. In 2023, WDFW is proposing to transition to a fall fishery to take advantage of cooler water temperatures, which reduce stress on sturgeon that are caught and released. The change is anticipated to protect wild adult sturgeon and other year- classes of high conservation value, while allowing for harvest of year-classes of hatchery-origin fish that are over-represented in population numbers.

The Lake Roosevelt sturgeon fishery is currently closed to fishing by permanent rule. Rule changes would open Roosevelt to a fishing season of Sept.16 to Nov. 30, a daily limit of one sturgeon, an annual limit of two sturgeon, and a harvest slot limit of 53-63 inches fork length (the length of a fish from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail). 

Anglers would also be required to cease fishing for the day after obtaining a daily limit and for the season once the annual limit has been taken. Over the next few years, additional changes to the Lake Roosevelt sturgeon regulations will be necessary to limit impacts to vulnerable segments of the population (wild adults and weak year-classes of sturgeon produced between 2011 and 2016) while continuing to provide opportunity to fish.

Prior to the start of the rule making process, two public meetings were held in March of 2023 to explain the proposed changes and receive public input. The presentation from those meetings was recorded. You can watch it here for more information on the proposal and the reasons behind it.

The final step of the rule making process is a virtual public meeting on Aug. 22, 2023 at 6 p.m. via ZoomMeetings. It will consist of a presentation followed by a question and answer/comment session. You must register at the Zoom link to participate. Following registration, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

You can also comment on the proposed rule by sending an email to roosevelt-sturgeon@PublicInput.com or by leaving a voicemail message at 855-925-2801 and entering project code 5179. The public comment period closes on Aug. 22, 2023.
 This rule change is expected to be adopted on Sept. 5, 2023.

WDFW works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.