Hello all,

I will be moving from Wisconsin to beautiful Washington State in May of this year and I am trying to do my homework so that I can jump right into the fishing. I am interested in fishing some of the salmon that are running up the rivers as well as steelhead. I have been to the WDFW's homepage and downloaded the whole rules book. However, I am still confused on how to determine if a water is open and legal to fish for salmon. If you could tell me about trout too that would be great. I realize I have to keep an eye on the ever changing special rules waters section of WDFW page but I am unsure on how to tell if I can legally fish a stream. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Compliments to your planning, research and optimistic outlook.
#1 You're at the right website for up to date info #2 upon your arrival stop by the local sporting goods to pick up the current fishing pamphlet #3 get ahold of a "Washington Atlas & Gazetter" (map) #4 get a copy of "Fishing & Hunting News" for Washington State. (It'll give you a good idea on what's available in this state)
Good Luck...><>

Ono4Fish

I have already downloaded the rules and regs book in its entirety but it still confuses me. Is there a section I have missed that tells when all salmon fishing is open for rivers? I already have it in the mill to get a good atlas, but thanks for the idea on the other magazine. sounds great. more info on the salmon would be tremendously helpful.

Regards
JRD

Why not target a few rivers where you be fishing first and then check the regs.
Make sure the part of the river is open and you are using the right gear.(barbless)
For example if you are fishing river ABC. from the mouth to the Railroad and it says its open from april to june for salmon then it is leagal to do so unless it mentions a species of salmon you can noy harvest in the special or additional rules section on the right siade of the river.
If you are confused in reading the pamphlet(like the rest of us here) call the fish and game before you go out on a outing.

Aerofly

Great suggestions, I appreciate that. Where do I look to see if river ABC is open for Salmon from April to June? Did I miss something on the WDFW pamphlet? I suppose local bait shops would have info too, is this safe to say. Thanks for the help.

JRD -

You haven't received an exact answer to your question because its not always that easy out here. You will get a feel for it fairly quickly. This BB is great for knowing whats open and whats not.

Rule of thumb - Puget Sound rivers both Kings and Native Steelhead are protected, no fishing for either. There are a couple of exceptions on the Kings and some options in the salt. Rest of the State, C & R on Nate Steelhead with a few exceptions not allowing any fishing.

SW area and Olympic Peninsula there is generally fishing for most species but closures frequently occur mid season when escapement isn't enough.

I've been to Door County and witnessed the runs you get there in the fall. You may be in for a surprise when you get out here. I don't think you had to deal with netting in L. Michigan. Here, you'll need to keep up on those schedules so you can determine when a river is being choked off.

When you first get here, fish in May as much as possible. Springers are a blast. June tends to be a slow month for many rivers.

Good luck,

Steve

I am starting to wonder if you did not download the entire regulations pamphlet as over half of it is dedicated to sections called "special rules". You will find that there are special rules for west side rivers, east side rivers, west side lakes, and east side lakes. West and east side are divided by the Cascade Mountains.

If you want to check regulations on a specific river, you must look up the river in the west or east side rivers section to determine the open seasons and restrictions for that river. Also, fishing regulations in the current pamphlet are only good until April. So when you move here you will need to pick up a new one to check for changes.

Steelieblue,
Any idea where you will live? That will make a lot of difference as to where you will fish. The rules in this state change frequently, so keep an eye on them... Good Luck.

elkrun, aka BWO1

Hey Steelie Blue. Take some time to enjoy the metalhead season this winter and spring. You'll find Washington to be a bit of a shock when it comes to numbers of fish. Don't want to be negative, but the 25+ fish days will be over. Absolutely beautiful water, but not anywhere near the numbers you may be used to. The rivers are any where from the same size to 20 times wider than the rivers and creeks in Wisoconsin. The fish fight harder, but are much more difficult to come by. You'll find that your steelie tactics from Wisoconsin will bide well for summer runs, but these winter fish are a whole different story. As for your gear, be prepared to use longer,heavier rods, and heavier line and hooks. Don't let the water intimidate you. Read it, break it down in chunks, and fish it hard. Enjoy the move, as there isn't many places prettier than where you are heading. Would I move there? In a minute, if I could.

did you download the pages marked special rules? the special rules are broken into west side and eastside, rivers and lakes. salmon are closed unless told it is open in the special rules for the water fishing.

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I'm the NRA.

The people of this thread

Thanks everybody for the help. I have turned back to the pamphlet and found the special rules section. One more question on that subject, what does chum salmon only mean on rivers like the skagit? Can one C&R other salmon or is it illegal to even fish for them? thanks

Technically, if it says "chum only", then you are running afoul of the rules if you are intentionally targeting any other salmon. If it stated "catch and release", then targeting and releasing is OK.

More realistically, if you're fishing for chums in November, you're probably using gear and lures that are somewhat appropriate for silvers, fall kings, steelhead, and dollies. You can't really avoid catching non-targeted species, except by actively not casting to visible fish of the prohibited species.

I hope I didn't confuse you more!

Where are you moving to?

Fish on...

Todd