Stillaguamish Steelhead Society Blog

2012-01-29

2012-01-29T22:39:00.000-08:00

2012-01-26

2012-01-26T18:06:00.000-08:00

2012-01-21

2012-01-21T17:56:00.001-08:00

sing to me

2012-01-20T22:18:00.001-08:00

2011-01-20

2012-01-20T22:17:00.000-08:00

2012-01-18

2012-01-18T17:56:00.000-08:00

2012-01-16

2012-01-16T10:52:00.001-08:00

2012-01-14

2012-01-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

2012-01-13

2012-01-13T16:47:00.001-08:00

2012-01-10

2012-01-11T09:32:00.000-08:00

2012-01-06

2012-01-06T20:49:00.001-08:00

our river to close Feb 16,2012

2012-01-06T20:14:00.000-08:00

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

January 6, 2012
Contact: Bob Leland, (360) 902-2817

Fishing in rivers around Puget Sound to close
due to low wild steelhead returns

OLYMPIA - Fishing for steelhead and other game fish will close early in several river systems in Puget Sound and along the Strait of Juan de Fuca to protect wild steelhead, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

The early closures will affect the Nooksack, Skagit, Stillaguamish, Snohomish and Puyallup river systems, along with several streams along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Most river systems will close Feb. 1. However, the Puyallup River system will close Jan. 16, and some waters near WDFW fish hatcheries are scheduled to close Feb. 16.

Pre-season estimates developed by WDFW last fall indicate that wild steelhead will return to those watersheds in numbers far short of target levels, said Bob Leland, WDFW's steelhead program manager.

"By taking this action, we can protect wild steelhead that do make it back to these river systems," he said.

The early closures are timed in each watershed to coincide with the traditional dates wild steelhead return to those Washington rivers, Leland said.

Wild steelhead returning to most of the rivers scheduled to close are listed as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Although anglers are required to release any wild steelhead they catch in these rivers, some of those fish inevitably die from the experience, Leland said.

The closures are necessary to meet the conservation objectives of WDFW's statewide steelhead management plan and comply with provisions of the ESA, he said.

Meanwhile, WDFW is proposing to make these early closure dates permanent to help protect future runs of wild steelhead, Leland said. The deadline for submitting written comments to the department on that and other proposed sportfishing rules was Dec. 30, but the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will accept both written and verbal comments at its Jan. 6-7 meeting in Olympia. For contact information, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/ .

The commission, which sets policy for WDFW, is scheduled to vote on the final sportfishing rules package during a meeting Feb. 3-4. For more information on the proposed rules, visit the department's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/rule_proposals/ .

Waters closing to fishing Jan. 16, 2012, by emergency rule include:

Puyallup River System

White River from the mouth to the R Street Bridge in Auburn.
Carbon River from the mouth to the Highway 162 Bridge.
Upper Puyallup River from the mouth of the Carbon River upstream.
Waters closing to fishing Feb. 1, 2012, by emergency rule include:

Nooksack River System

Nooksack River mainstem from the Lummi Indian Reservation boundary to the confluence of North and South forks.
North Fork Nooksack River from Maple Creek to Nooksack Falls.
Middle Fork Nooksack River from the mouth to the City of Bellingham diversion Dam.
South Fork Nooksack River from the mouth to Skookum Creek.
Skagit River System

Skagit River mainstem from the mouth to the Highway 530 Bridge at Rockport.
Skagit River from the mouth of the Cascade River to the Gorge powerhouse at Newhalem.
Sauk River from the mouth to the Whitechuck River.
Cascade River from the Rockport-Cascade Road Bridge upstream to headwaters.
Snohomish River System

Snohomish River from the mouth (Burlington Northern railroad bridge) upstream to the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers.
Skykomish River from the mouth to the Highway 2 Bridge at the Big Eddy Access.
Pilchuck River from the mouth to 500 feet downstream of the Snohomish city diversion dam.
Sultan River from the mouth to 400 feet downstream of diversion dam (river mile 9.7).
Wallace River from 200 feet upstream of water intake of salmon hatchery to Wallace Falls.
North Fork Skykomish River from the mouth to 1,000 feet downstream of Bear Creek Falls.
South Fork Skykomish River from the mouth to 600 feet downstream of Sunset Falls fishway.
Snoqualmie River from the mouth to the boat ramp at Plum access.
Tolt River from the mouth to the USGS trolley cable near confluence of North and South forks.
Raging River from the mouth to Highway 18 Bridge.
Stillaguamish River System

Stillaguamish River from Marine Drive upstream to forks.
Pilchuck Creek from the mouth to Highway 9 Bridge.
North Fork Stillaguamish River from the mouth to the mouth of French Creek.
South Fork Stillaguamish River from the mouth to 400 feet below the Granite Falls fishway outlet.
Canyon Creek from the mouth upstream.
Strait of Juan de Fuca

Dungeness River from the mouth upstream to the forks at Dungeness Forks Campground.
Morse Creek from the mouth to the Port Angeles Dam.
Salt Creek from the mouth to the bridge on Highway 112.
Deep Creek from the mouth upstream.
Pysht River from the mouth upstream.
Clallam River from the mouth upstream.
Sekiu River from the mouth to forks.
Waters closing to fishing Feb. 16, 2012, by emergency rule include:

North Fork Nooksack River from the mouth to Maple Creek.
Skykomish River from the Highway 2 Bridge at the Big Eddy Access to the confluence of North and South forks.
Wallace River from the mouth (farthest downstream railroad bridge) to 200 feet upstream of the water intake of salmon hatchery.
Snoqualmie River from the boat ramp at Plum access to Snoqualmie Falls.
Tokul Creek from the mouth to the posted cable boundary marker.
North Fork Stillaguamish River from the mouth of French Creek to the Swede Heaven Bridge.
Skagit River from the Highway 530 Bridge at Rockport to the mouth of the Cascade River.
Cascade River from the mouth to Rockport-Cascade Road Bridge.
Leland reminds anglers that the Samish River, from the I-5 Bridge to the Hickson Bridge, closed to fishing Dec. 1. The stretch of the Samish River, from the mouth to the I-5 Bridge closed Jan.1.

For more information on the closures, check the emergency rule changes on WDFW's website at http://1.usa.gov/hfDjYl .

2012-01-05

2012-01-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

2012-01-04

2012-01-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

2012-01-02

2012-01-02T14:43:00.001-08:00

2012-01-01

2012-01-01T22:52:00.001-08:00

2011-12-31

2011-12-31T08:50:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year may your lines be tight next year. Thanks for stopping by and viewing the river. Wakingflies

2011-12-30

2011-12-30T18:28:00.001-08:00

2011-12-28

2011-12-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

please read and respond ASAP

2011-12-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

WDFW Rule Change Proposals

In October WDFW released proposed a list of rule changes to be implemented in the 2012-2013 fishing season. Among the proposals is the permanent adoption of the February 1st closure of Puget Sound Rivers, and the shortening of seasons on several Southwest Washington River systems. In the Willapa Bay region these closures are not a reflection of unhealthy fish populations but rather a lack of escapement goals that are based on the true productive potential of the river systems. While we support cautious management of wild steelhead, we also believe it is incumbent upon the state to provide catch and release fishing opportunities for wild steelhead when possible. Around the state escapement goals range from absurdly high to dangerously low and there is a glaring need for WDFW to adopt a statewide protocol for determining escapement goals and statewide fishing seasons based on this data. In areas where populations are ESA listed such as Puget Sound, WDFW should work collaboratively with NOAA to develop a list of criteria that would allow the opening of selective regulations, catch and release fisheries and monitor populations to ensure that these criteria are being met.

WDFW operates under the false assumption that simply closing sport fisheries will allow wild steelhead populations to recover, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Sport fishing has an undeniable impact on wild fish, however it has a comparably small impact particularly when managed under selective regulations for catch and release. Under these conditions the risk posed by sport fisheries is reduced significantly and there is no justification for closing fishing in rivers where wild steelhead populations have been stable for the decades. In instances where populations of wild steelhead are deemed so fragile that they can no longer sustain catch and release fishing for wild steelhead WDFW should also work actively to eliminate other impacts by curtailing hatchery operations, and banning the use of bait all year. With fishing opportunities dwindling around the state we should demand leadership from WDFW that ensures catch and release sport fishing opportunities in areas where it does not pose an undue conservation risk.

Please take a minute to write WDFW and tell them to protect sport fishing opportunity for steelhead by adopting a statewide protocol for determining escapement goals and fishing seasons, and not to close steelhead fishing in areas where populations are stable and have consistently met these escapement goals.

Comments can be submitted before December 30th to WDFW’s rule coordinator at:

Lori.Preuss@dfw.wa.gov

Or by mail

WDFW Rules Coordinator Lori Preuss
600 Capitol Way N.
Olympia, WA, 98501

2011-12-26

2011-12-26T20:27:00.000-08:00

2011-12-24

2011-12-24T19:27:00.000-08:00

Remembering the masters Wes Drain on the N.F. Stillaguamish

2011-12-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

Photograph made by Master Steelhead Flyfisher and Photographer Ralph Wahl

2011-12-21

2011-12-21T22:57:00.001-08:00

2011-12-20

2011-12-20T19:10:00.001-08:00