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See proposed rule
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See summary of recommended rules with summary of
written public comment

Fish & Wildlife Commission
Meeting Feb. 8-9, 2013
2013 – 2014 Sportfishing Rule Proposals – Briefing and Public Hearing. Audio available.

Regulations & Seasons

Sportfishing Rule Changes for 2013-2014

Sportfishing Rule Proposals & Comments

View proposals and comments on proposals that were submitted by the public and WDFW staff.
There are two types of rules available for viewing.

for Public Comment

Not Recommended
for further consideration

View by Category

Statewide	Coastal Region Freshwater	Statewide Shellfish/Seaweed
Puget Sound Region Freshwater	Coastal Region Marine	Puget Sound Region Marine
Eastern Washington and Columbia Region Freshwater

Recommended for Public Comment

Statewide (6)

# 1. Remove internal combustion motors prohibition on small streams
Remove internal combustion motor prohibition rule from small streams in Regions 3 and 6.

# 2. Washington Administrative Code (WAC) language, maintenance, and technical changes
Corrects Washington Administrative Code language to reflect rule adoptions made by the Commission (technical changes). Formats the language in a clear structure and corrects mistakes in spelling etc....

# 3. Resident trout streams open on Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend
Open all resident trout streams on Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend where anadromous fish are not present.

# 4. Statewide fishing closure for sixgill, sevengill and thresher sharks
Close angling statewide for sixgill, sevengill and thresher sharks.

# 5. Evaluate two pole fishing opportunity on "quality water" lakes statewide Updated 11/09/2012
Allow the use of two poles on "quality waters" statewide.

# 6. Statewide white sturgeon rules
This proposal modifies rules for white sturgeon that will be developed through a series of public meetings and Commission guidance for the purpose of managing harvest and fisheries. Possible options i...

Eastern Washington and Columbia Region Freshwater (34)

# 7. Align Washburn Island Pond rules with Colville Tribes
Internal combustion motors may be attached to floating devices, but must not be used.

# 8. Increase Snake River hatchery summer steelhead harvest
Develop consistent trout/steelhead rules on the Snake River to allow harvest of trout/steelhead from June 16 to March 31 with retention of up to 3 hatchery steelhead and barbless hooks required when f...

# 9. Remove or modify size and daily limits for bass, walleye, and channel catfish in the Columbia River, Snake River and their tributaries
Below are two proposed rule options to reduce negative interactions between Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed anadromous fish and predatory warmwater fish:

Option 1 – Remove size and dail...

# 10. Clarify boundaries for Burbank Slough
Burbank Slough is listed in the Special Rules section and includes that "fishing from any floating device is prohibited." The current rule is not clear that some areas of Burbank are open to a...

# 11. Clarify areas open to angling on the Walla Walla River Updated 10/18/2012
UPDATED: Clarify the wording for the upper zone of the Walla Walla River as follows: Walla Walla tributaries from the Touchet River to the Oregon border are closed, with the exception of Mill Creek an...

# 12. Consistent internal combustion motor rules on the Grande Ronde River
The upper and lower zones of the Grande Ronde River have internal combustion motors prohibited. In the lower zone that prohibition is from Sept 1-May 31, and in the upper zone it is from Sept 1 to Apr...

# 13. Prohibit the use of internal combustion motors on Yocum Lake
Prohibit the use of internal combustion motors on Yocum Lake.

# 14. Convert Leader Lake to a year-round fishery
Create a year-round fishery and eliminate this lake as an opening day water.

# 15. Liberalize bag limits for walleye on Lake Roosevelt and the Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt Updated 10/18/2012
Increase harvest of walleye in Lake Roosevelt.

# 16. Increase Scooteney Reservoir daily bag limit for walleye
Increase daily walleye limit on Scooteney Reservoir from 5 to 8.

# 17. Convert North Silver Lake to a year-round fishery
Allow increased fishing and harvest opportunity for warmwater fish by removing this lake from the Special Rules section and manage it under Statewide Rules.

# 18. Increase Touchet River hatchery summer steelhead harvest while protecting wild spawning summer steelhead
Extend steelhead season by 15 days on the Touchet River

# 19. Extend Okanogan River game fish season
Extend the game fish season for the area upstream of the highway bridge at Malott to September 15.

# 20. Adjust angling regulations on Monument Creek to protect ESA listed bull trout
Currently Monument Creek is managed under statewide general stream rules. General rules permit the use of barbed hooks and bait. The rules for Monument Creek should be adjusted to selective gear rules...

# 21. Adjust open area for trout fishing on the Methow River to protect steelhead
Increase conservation measures by closing trout angling in a section of the lower Methow River. More details --Close trout angling on the section of river from Gold Creek to Highway 153 bridge at M...

# 22. Remove daily limit on brook trout in Tucquala Lake
Change the rule in Tucquala Lake to no daily limit on brook trout.

# 23. Close to fishing year-round Gold Crk., Gold Crk. Pond and Outlet Channel (Kittitas Co.)
Close the following: Gold Creek, Gold Creek Pond, and Outlet Channel (tributary to Keechelus Lake), including that portion of Gold Creek that flows through the dry lakebed.

# 24. Prohibit the use of internal combustion motors on two reaches of the Yakima River
Prohibit the use of internal combustion motors on 2 reaches of the Yakima River. Reach 1 - from the Interstate 82 Bridge at Selah Gap to 3,500' below Roza Dam. Reach 2-from 3,500' below Roza...

# 25. Change to Selective Gear Rules on multiple streams in Region 3 to protect ESA listed steelhead and bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout Updated 11/09/2012
Extends selective gear rules protection (no bait, single barbless hooks) for salmonids in Manastash Creek, Little Naches River, Nile Creek, Oak Creek, Rattlesnake Creek, Taneum Creek, Teanaway River, ...

# 26. Black Friday trout opener on Region 5 lakes
Provide additional holiday fishing opportunity through closing some lakes the Monday before Thanksgiving and re-opening them the Friday after Thanksgiving.

# 27. Prohibit removal of salmon, steelhead, and dolly varden/ bull trout from the water on the Columbia River if intending to release
Require that in freshwater areas (except in the Columbia River between the Buoy 10 line and the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line) salmon, steelhead, dolly varden/bull trout that are to be released may no...

# 28. Change opening date on Swift Reservoir
Delay the opening to the first Saturday in June, add landlocked salmon rules with a maximum size of 15 inches, and increase the trout daily limit to 10 fish in September for the area from the dam to ...

# 29. Change closure date on Vancouver Lake Flushing Channel
Increase smolt protection by extending the closed waters rule in the Vancouver Lake flushing channel.

# 30. Expand fishing opportunity to families, disabled and seniors on Fort Borst Park Pond
Allow family, disabled, and senior fishing opportunity on this lake.

# 31. Lake Scanewa year-round fishing
Provide year-round fishing.

# 32. Increase daily bag limit for kokanee on Lake Merwin
Increase daily limit to 10 kokanee plus 5 trout.

# 33. Create new Rainey Creek rainbow trout fishery
Provide an adipose fin clipped rainbow trout harvest season in this tributary at the upper end of Riffe Lake.

# 34. Increase angling opportunity on Blue Creek (Cowlitz River)
Open the fishery to all anglers and remove requirement that only anglers who permanently use a wheelchair may fish for the following section: from the posted sign at fence (about 40 feet downstream fr...

# 35. Increase open angling area on Coweeman River
Extend area open to fishing approximately 5 miles, from mouth to Baird Creek.

# 36. Increase hatchery summer steelhead harvest opportunity on the South Fork Toutle River
Provide a new season from the mouth to 4700 Road Bridge from the last Saturday in May to the first Friday in June, with selective gear rules and catch and release except up to two hatchery steelhead m...

# 37. Increase hatchery summer steelhead harvest opportunity on the Green and Toutle rivers
Increase the harvest opportunity on hatchery summer steelhead. Open from mouth to 400 feet below the Toutle Hatchery water intake. All Game Fish: Last Saturday in May to the first Friday in June under...

# 38. Increase hatchery steelhead harvest opportunity in the Kalama River
Allow retention of hatchery steelhead from Summers Creek upstream to Kalama Falls.

# 39. Open steelhead fishery on White Salmon River
Open hatchery steelhead angling on the White Salmon River from the county road bridge below the former powerhouse to Northwestern Lake Road Bridge and require selective gear rules.

# 40. Change trout fishing rules on Skate Creek and Tilton River
Change trout rules to daily limit 2, minimum size 8 inches.

Puget Sound Region Freshwater (19)

# 41. Allow angling in beaver ponds on or adjacent to streams open to angling
Beaver ponds located within or adjoining streams that are currently listed as open to trout and other gamefish follow the same rules and regulations as the stream unless otherwise regulated by special...

# 42. Change Ebey Lake fishing rules
Change to statewide freshwater general rules and remove from the Westside Lakes special rules section of the regulation pamphlet.

# 43. Convert Long Lake to a year-round fishery
Eliminate this lake as an opening day water and make it a year-round fishery.

# 44. Convert Ohop Lake to a year-round fishery
Eliminate this lake as an opening day water and make it a year-round fishery.

# 45. Change Shady Lake opening date
Open the season on the fourth Saturday in April.

# 46. Reduce waterfowl hunter/angler use conflicts on Fazon & Tennant Lakes Updated 10/18/2012
UPDATED: Change seasons to not allow fishing from a floating device until January 28th -- to coincide with the closing date of waterfowl hunting season.

# 47. Open most tributaries to Ross Lake to angling
Open Ross Lake Tributary Streams and their tributaries from one mile upstream of Ross Lake to headwaters (except Ruby Creek closed and its tributaries open) under the following rules: All Game Fish: J...

# 48. Require seasonal use of single point barbless hooks to protect Lake Sammamish Kokanee
Daily bag limit of five trout remains the same but to protect kokanee, only single point barbless hooks will be allowed from January 1 through April 30.

# 49. Increase daily bag limit on Cascade Creek brook trout Updated 10/18/2012
UPDATED: Provide a season for Cascade Creek (on Orcas Island, from mouth to Cascade Lake) from the first Saturday in June through October 31, with selective gear rules and a 10 fish daily limit. ...

# 50. Increase angling opportunity on the South Fork Nooksack River
South Fork Nooksack River and all tributaries, upstream from and including Wanlick Creek. Season first Saturday in June through October. Fly fishing only, catch and release.

# 51. Open Minter Creek to trout fishing
Open Minter Creek to trout fishing the first Saturday in June-October 31 with selective gear rules, a minimum size 14 inches and a 2 fish daily limit.

# 52. Deschutes River year-round fishery
Modify the fishing season for the section from Old Highway 99 Bridge on Capitol Boulevard (in city of Tumwater) upstream to the Henderson Boulevard Bridge near Pioneer Park so that trout fishing is op...

# 53. Shorten fishing season on Channel Creek to protect spawning sockeye
Change the fishing season to the first Saturday in June through August 30, with statewide rules for minimum size and daily limit.

# 54. Open a selective gear rules trout fishery in the lower Skagit River
Open a trout fishery from the mouth to Highway 536 Memorial Bridge from March 1 through May 31. Anglers must use hooks with a 1/2 inch gap (approximately a size 2 hook) and follow selective gear rules...

# 55. Close angling on Hutchinson Creek
Close to fishing to protect wild steelhead

# 56. Extend night closure and anti-snagging rules on the Wallace River
Extend night closure and anti-snagging rules from the mouth (farthest downstream railroad bridge) to 363rd Avenue SE/Reese Road (Dike Road)from June through February 15.

# 57. Change to selective gear rules on Canyon Creek to protect wild summer steelhead
Require selective gear rules in Canyon Creek to reduce hooking mortality of wild summer steelhead.

# 58. Quilcene trout retention
Remove the current regulation requiring catch and release and allow retention of trout from Rodgers Street to Highway 101 with a daily bag limit of 2 and a minimum length of 14 inches.

# 59. Change harvest regulation on Clover Creek for salmonid smolt protection
Change the minimum length to 14 inches and require selective gear rules.

Coastal Region Freshwater (3)

# 60. Allow retention of hatchery trout (ad-clipped) of any size in coastal streams
Allow retention of any hatchery (ad-clipped) trout under 14 inches in coastal streams (anadromous waters) where trout regulations stipulate a bag limit of minimum size 14 inches and daily limit 2.

# 61. Require release of kokanee in Elk Lake and Umbrella Creek
Require the release of kokanee in Elk Lake and Umbrella Creek and all tributaries to protect Lake Ozette sockeye.

# 62. Convert Middle Nemah Pond and Mooses Pond to year-round fisheries
Change current rules on these bodies of water to year-round fisheries.

Coastal Region Marine (7)

# 63. Increase daily harvest quota for spot shrimp
Change spot shrimp daily quota from 80 to 200 per person in the Pacific Ocean, Marine Areas 1-4 (Marine Area 4 west of Bonilla-Tatoosh) only.

# 64. Anchovy and sardine daily limit and use of cast net gear
Fishery for anchovy and sardine (25 pounds in aggregate) taken by dip net, cast net, angling and jigs. Cast net must be in immediate control of the angler. Mesh size limited to 1 inch maximum, no larg...

# 65. Cabezon minimum size requirement
Marine Area 4-11 and 13: Cabezon minimum size 18 inches.

# 66. Rockfish species retention in Marine Area 4 west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh Line
Marine Area 4 west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh Line: Only black, blue and yellowtail rockfish may be retained.

# 67. Tuna daily limit
Implement two fish daily limit for yellowfin, skipjack and northern bluefin tuna.

# 68. Reduce lingcod minimum size in Marine Area 4
Marine Area 4: Reduce the minimum size for lingcod to 22 inches.

# 69. Reduce lingcod season in Marine Area 4B
Marine Area 4B East of the Bonilla-Tatoosh Line: Lingcod season May 1-June 15.