Go Aweigh2452
06-01-2006, 05:37 AM
May 31 - June 13, 2006
Contact: Craig Bartlett, (360) 902-2259
Anglers can fish for free June 10-11;
options range from trout to sturgeon
Thousands of rivers throughout the state will open to trout fishing June 1, when new fisheries will also get under way in some waters for hatchery steelhead and spring chinook salmon. Meanwhile, catch rates for sturgeon have been picking up in the lower Columbia River while anglers in Eastern Washington are reeling in an increasing number of bass, walleye and other warmwater fish.
Sound like fun? Washingtonians who are interested in fishing but haven't actually given it a try have a perfect chance to do so during Free Fishing Weekend, scheduled June 10-11.
During those two days, no license will be required to fish or gather shellfish in any waters open to fishing in Washington state. Also, no vehicle use permit will be required during Free Fishing Weekend to park at any of the 500 water-access sites maintained by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
"Free Fishing Weekend is a great time to revive an old hobby or to introduce friends and family to fishing," said Ross Fuller, manager of the WDFW Fish Management Division. "Adults can introduce kids to fishing on a wide variety of waters around the state."
While no licenses are required on Free Fishing Weekend, other rules such as size limits, bag limits and closures will still be in effect. Anglers will also be required to complete a catch record card for any salmon, steelhead, sturgeon or halibut they catch.
Catch record cards and WDFW's Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet are available free at hundreds of sporting goods stores and other license dealers throughout the state. The rules pamphlet is also available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm .
Of course, fishing opportunities don't begin or end with Free Fishing Weekend. Those with a fishing license might want to consider heading to the north coast for the halibut opening June 22 and 24. Others can look forward to the first round of crab openings, set for June 18 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 13 (south Puget Sound).
These and other fishing opportunities are discussed in the regional reports that follow.
First, though, WDFW officials want to remind anglers and others who plan to spend time outdoors of a few precautions for avoiding conflicts with potentially dangerous wildlife.
Store picnic and camp food out of reach of hungry bears or other animals.
Camp and hike only in designated areas and preferably in groups that discourage close encounters.
Leave wild babies alone to avoid problems with protective parent animals.
For more information about preventive measures and dealing with problem bears or cougars, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/blkbear/blkbear.htm and http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/cougar/cougar.htm .
North Puget Sound
Fishing: With only a few weeks left in spring, anglers have an assortment of fishing opportunities, ranging from trout and chinook to shrimp and lingcod.
On the freshwater, trout fishing continues on the lakes and will expand into several of the region's rivers and streams June 1. Under the statewide rule for trout, there is a two-fish daily limit and a minimum size of eight inches in rivers and streams. However, some of the region's rivers and streams have a rule requiring trout to be at least 14 inches in length to retain. For more rules and details on trout fishing, anglers can check out WDFW's 2006/2007 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm ).
Portions of the Skagit and Skykomish rivers also open for spring chinook fishing June 1. The Skagit is open to hatchery springer retention from the Highway 530 bridge at Rockport to the Cascade River. The daily limit is two hatchery chinook at least 12 inches in length. On the Skykomish, hatchery springer fishing is open from the Lewis Street Bridge in Monroe to the Wallace River. The Skykomish fishery also has a daily limit of two hatchery chinook at least 12 inches in length.
Out on the saltwater, the Tulalip Bay "bubble" fishery begins June 2 and runs through Sept. 25, except for a one-day closure on June 17. The fishery is open each week from Friday through noon Monday. There is a two-salmon daily limit and chinook must be 22 inches in length to retain.
The northern portion of Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) opens June 1 to catch-and-release fishing for salmon . Fishing will be allowed north of a line from Point Monroe to Meadow Point. Handling rules are in effect for this fishery.
Meanwhile, anglers are still picking up lingcod, halibut, rockfish and cabezon in waters throughout north Puget Sound. During the lingcod hook-and-line season (May 1-June 15), there's a one-fish daily limit for lings, which must be a minimum size of 26 inches and a maximum size of 40 inches. The halibut-fishing season is open five days a week, Thursday through Monday, with a daily limit of one halibut and no minimum size limit. For rockfish, there is no minimum size and anglers must keep the first legal rockfish caught. Anglers fishing for cabezon have a daily limit of two fish, and there is no minimum size limit.
Shrimpers have done well in the region this spring, and the opportunities continue as the coonstripe and pink shrimp season opens June 1 in marine areas 7 (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) and a portion of 9 (Admiralty Inlet). The daily limit in all of these fisheries is 10 pounds, heads and tails, of all shrimp species combined. Shrimp heads can be removed, but the heads must be retained while in the field. Details, such as the required minimum mesh size and maximum fishing depths, are available on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crabreg/ . As for spot shrimp , the fishery is closed throughout the region except in the southern portion of Marine Area 7 (Iceberg Point and Salmon Bank areas).
As summer approaches, so does the crab season. Crab fishing opens July 1 in marine areas 8-1, 8-2, 9, 10, and the southern portion of 7. Fisheries in those areas will generally be open on a Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule, although the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission recently added extra fishing days around the Fourth of July. See WDFW's sport-crabbing website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crab/ ) for more information.
Contact: Craig Bartlett, (360) 902-2259
Anglers can fish for free June 10-11;
options range from trout to sturgeon
Thousands of rivers throughout the state will open to trout fishing June 1, when new fisheries will also get under way in some waters for hatchery steelhead and spring chinook salmon. Meanwhile, catch rates for sturgeon have been picking up in the lower Columbia River while anglers in Eastern Washington are reeling in an increasing number of bass, walleye and other warmwater fish.
Sound like fun? Washingtonians who are interested in fishing but haven't actually given it a try have a perfect chance to do so during Free Fishing Weekend, scheduled June 10-11.
During those two days, no license will be required to fish or gather shellfish in any waters open to fishing in Washington state. Also, no vehicle use permit will be required during Free Fishing Weekend to park at any of the 500 water-access sites maintained by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
"Free Fishing Weekend is a great time to revive an old hobby or to introduce friends and family to fishing," said Ross Fuller, manager of the WDFW Fish Management Division. "Adults can introduce kids to fishing on a wide variety of waters around the state."
While no licenses are required on Free Fishing Weekend, other rules such as size limits, bag limits and closures will still be in effect. Anglers will also be required to complete a catch record card for any salmon, steelhead, sturgeon or halibut they catch.
Catch record cards and WDFW's Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet are available free at hundreds of sporting goods stores and other license dealers throughout the state. The rules pamphlet is also available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm .
Of course, fishing opportunities don't begin or end with Free Fishing Weekend. Those with a fishing license might want to consider heading to the north coast for the halibut opening June 22 and 24. Others can look forward to the first round of crab openings, set for June 18 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu) and 13 (south Puget Sound).
These and other fishing opportunities are discussed in the regional reports that follow.
First, though, WDFW officials want to remind anglers and others who plan to spend time outdoors of a few precautions for avoiding conflicts with potentially dangerous wildlife.
Store picnic and camp food out of reach of hungry bears or other animals.
Camp and hike only in designated areas and preferably in groups that discourage close encounters.
Leave wild babies alone to avoid problems with protective parent animals.
For more information about preventive measures and dealing with problem bears or cougars, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/blkbear/blkbear.htm and http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/cougar/cougar.htm .
North Puget Sound
Fishing: With only a few weeks left in spring, anglers have an assortment of fishing opportunities, ranging from trout and chinook to shrimp and lingcod.
On the freshwater, trout fishing continues on the lakes and will expand into several of the region's rivers and streams June 1. Under the statewide rule for trout, there is a two-fish daily limit and a minimum size of eight inches in rivers and streams. However, some of the region's rivers and streams have a rule requiring trout to be at least 14 inches in length to retain. For more rules and details on trout fishing, anglers can check out WDFW's 2006/2007 Fishing in Washington pamphlet (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm ).
Portions of the Skagit and Skykomish rivers also open for spring chinook fishing June 1. The Skagit is open to hatchery springer retention from the Highway 530 bridge at Rockport to the Cascade River. The daily limit is two hatchery chinook at least 12 inches in length. On the Skykomish, hatchery springer fishing is open from the Lewis Street Bridge in Monroe to the Wallace River. The Skykomish fishery also has a daily limit of two hatchery chinook at least 12 inches in length.
Out on the saltwater, the Tulalip Bay "bubble" fishery begins June 2 and runs through Sept. 25, except for a one-day closure on June 17. The fishery is open each week from Friday through noon Monday. There is a two-salmon daily limit and chinook must be 22 inches in length to retain.
The northern portion of Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) opens June 1 to catch-and-release fishing for salmon . Fishing will be allowed north of a line from Point Monroe to Meadow Point. Handling rules are in effect for this fishery.
Meanwhile, anglers are still picking up lingcod, halibut, rockfish and cabezon in waters throughout north Puget Sound. During the lingcod hook-and-line season (May 1-June 15), there's a one-fish daily limit for lings, which must be a minimum size of 26 inches and a maximum size of 40 inches. The halibut-fishing season is open five days a week, Thursday through Monday, with a daily limit of one halibut and no minimum size limit. For rockfish, there is no minimum size and anglers must keep the first legal rockfish caught. Anglers fishing for cabezon have a daily limit of two fish, and there is no minimum size limit.
Shrimpers have done well in the region this spring, and the opportunities continue as the coonstripe and pink shrimp season opens June 1 in marine areas 7 (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) and a portion of 9 (Admiralty Inlet). The daily limit in all of these fisheries is 10 pounds, heads and tails, of all shrimp species combined. Shrimp heads can be removed, but the heads must be retained while in the field. Details, such as the required minimum mesh size and maximum fishing depths, are available on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crabreg/ . As for spot shrimp , the fishery is closed throughout the region except in the southern portion of Marine Area 7 (Iceberg Point and Salmon Bank areas).
As summer approaches, so does the crab season. Crab fishing opens July 1 in marine areas 8-1, 8-2, 9, 10, and the southern portion of 7. Fisheries in those areas will generally be open on a Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule, although the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission recently added extra fishing days around the Fourth of July. See WDFW's sport-crabbing website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crab/ ) for more information.