In 1985, regulations for Roosevelt Lake were changed to try to reduce this trend. The daily limit was reduced to eight, and a minimum size limit of 16 inches was established. The following year, limits on the state’s other walleye waters were reduced to five fish per day, with an 18-inch minimum size limit.

In the spring of 1990, regulations at Roosevelt Lake were changed again, after it became apparent that the 16-inch minimum size limit was giving too much protection to small fish. Fish below 16 inches were becoming quite thin, and growth had slowed markedly, due to a lack of forage to support the growing population of small fish. The present regulation at Roosevelt Lake is a “slot limit”—only fish less than 16 inches or more than 20 inches may be kept. The daily limit remains at eight walleyes, but only one of the fish in a limit may be over 20 inches. This regulation has been working well, and the average size of walleyes in the catch has been increasing.

The same size and limit rules apply to these Roosevelt Lake tributaries: Kettle River arm from Burlington-Northern Railroad Bridge at Twin Bridges, upstream to Napoleon Bridge; SanPoil River arm upstream from Manilla Creek; and Spokane River arm from SR25 bridge upstream to Seven Mile Bridge. The season is open year-round in Roosevelt Lake, but closes from April 1 to May 31 in the Kettle, SanPoil and Spokane River arms.

In Yakima County, I-82 Ponds 1 and 2 are closed to walleye fishing, and in Grant County Alkali Lake is closed to fishing for walleyes. These closures are to allow the department to conduct research and studies on walleyes.

Regulations for the rest of the state remain unchanged: five fish daily limit, no fish smaller than 18 inches, and only one fish over 24 inches. (Note: regulations given above are current as of the revision date of this document; check the regulations pamphlet for changes. Special regulations regarding walleye fishing contests were enacted in 1994—see box titled Walleye Contests.)

While walleyes are a favorite game fish for many anglers, they also can pose challenges for fisheries managers. A voracious predator, walleye introductions into some waters can impact populations of other game fish. Because of this concern, fisheries biologists in Washington are cautious managers when it comes to walleyes. A study conducted on Lake Umatilla (John Day Pool) on the Washington-Oregon border documented that somewhere between nine and 19 percent of the juvenile anadromous fish in the reservoir were eaten by other fish. Of these, 78 percent were eaten by squawfish, and only 22 percent were eaten by walleyes, smallmouth bass and channel catfish combined.