February 7, 2011

Contact: Susan Galloway, (360) 902-2267 or
WDFW Fish Program, (360) 902-2700

Commission approves new fishing seasons
for Lake Sutherland game fish, Puget Sound crab

OLYMPIA - The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission approved fishing closures in the Elwha River Basin linked to the impending removal of two major dams and adopted new Puget Sound crab-fishing seasons for 2011 during a meeting here Feb. 4-5.

The commission, which sets policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), also approved new restrictions on recreational and commercial fisheries in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca to protect bottomfish.

The Elwha fishing moratorium, set to begin in March of 2012, is designed to protect native salmon and trout during demolition of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams and encourage their expansion into 70 miles of new spawning and rearing habitat.

The fishing moratorium, which will remain in effect until further notice, was previously endorsed by the National Park Service and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe for the fisheries they manage in the watershed.

The commission’s action will not, however, close all fishing in Lake Sutherland, which is linked to the Elwha River by Indian Creek. Fishery managers had previously proposed closing fishing in the lake, currently open year-round, as part of a strategy to rebuild salmon runs in the watershed.

"The public made a strong case that we should allow fishing in Lake Sutherland at least part of the year," said Miranda Wecker, commission chair. "We agreed on an approach that will support salmon recovery without closing fishing year-round."

Effective May 1 of this year, only kokanee and trout measuring 6-18 inches can be retained at Lake Sutherland, which will close for the year Nov. 1, 2011. Starting next year, the new rules adopted by the commission also will limit fishing for kokanee and other game fish in Lake Sutherland from the third Saturday in April through the end of October.