Hi:

This is more to TRY and understand why WDFW has had many different dates on Summer Steelhead openings.

1. Used to be Memorial Day weekend.....I understood that one, 3 day weekend, everyone that want to fish could during 1 of the 3 days. If you wanted to camp/trailer...then it was perfect, camp and fish.

2. Then WDFW, and all their wisdom, decided that June 1 would be a better way to go.

3. Then for SOME REASON, it got changed to the present, 1st weekend in June.

Why, why, why?????? Just wondering if anyone has ever thought about it....or even cares.

I know there are fish to be caught, now, because people have been seeing them for over a month now.

Memorial day weekend a lot of smolts get killed from camper/fishers thinking they are trout. As for the 1st verus the first weekend of June!!!!! Really don't have an answer for that one. Good luck,

SZ

Already have a bunch of summerz on my card, look at your regs phamplet and the website closer

I do early summeruns in Oregon. I tagged my seventh last Tuesday morning after 4 1/2 days fishing. It's turning out to be a good early run better than last year's early run. I know you were frustrated last year with the lack of fish. I'm worried about the low water conditions and may have to cut short or reschedule my next trip in a couple of weeks.

I have heard the late openers were to try and protect the winter spawners that might still be around.

My understanding is that the openers were pushed back to June 1st to protect winter spawners, and then some were moved to "First Saturday in June" after several years of the openers coming on weekdays and a lot of whining that most people had to work those days and missed the openers.

Why some still open June 1, and some are "First Saturday", is beyond me...no idea how they choose which is which.

I can say this about the Skykomish...opening day being on a Monday did not in any way whatsoever reduce the amount of anglers It was jam packed.

Fish on...

Todd

Todd:

My observation over the past 10 years......really doesn't matter what day of the week......seems like an almost equal number of people, boats on many of the rivers I fish.

Lots of floating work days, personal days, just not working, and of course retired people......fishing group while not growing much, more people are fishing more days per given week.

My personal choice is Memorial Day Weekend....longest, a little earlier, and better for campers/trailer people......AND there are new hatchery fish available, on the rivers I fish.

Might want to see if the June 1 openers are in one region and first weekend in another. Despite the theory of statewide oversight, each region marches to it's own symphony.

It is my understanding that former director Anderson wanted the river opener to be like the lowland lake opener and therefore be on a Saturday. That was done on rivers that did not have a salmon component to their opener as the salmon seasons were a negotiated issue with catch rates based off of number of fishing days. I'm sure there are exceptions, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Drifter -
The move from the Saturday before memorial Day to June first was concern about both potential angler impacts on both smolt and spawning steelhead. While there always is a desire for consistent regulations specific angler desires and concerns often lead to more complex regulations.

As with this year Memorial Day can fall as early as 25th of May meaning that "opening day" could be as early as May 23. Peak out migration of steelhead smolts is typically during the second week of May (sometimes a bit later) and usually tapers off into early June. Wild steelhead spawning can extend well into June and on basins like the Skagit/Sauk/Nooksack the peak spawning activity of wild winter steelhead occurs in mid-May. Bottom line significant numbers of both wild smolts and spawning wild winters are still in the rivers in late May and by moving to June first opening their exposure is reduced by 3 to 9 days; while that may not seem a like a lot some years and in some basins it is significant.

There was a back lash from the June first opener by those that liked the traditional Saturday opening. On the other side of the coin many of those that fish salmon (spring and summer Chinook) in rivers wanted as many days possible to access the fish.

There was also a backlash against the move from the Saturday before Memorial Day by those that want to that a three day weekend or that benefit from that recreational activity that such weekends generate. The end result we have ended up with many of the rivers with just resident trout (especially in eastern Washington) opening on the Saturday before Memorial Day. While the general opener for streams with anadromous fish being the first Saturday in June with an exception for those will or the potential for early salmon season.

Complicated -yes; confusing for sure but the above is my recollection of the rationale for the various opening day changes over the last 30 years.

Hope that helps.

Curt

I would add to Smalma's remarks that there can be a lot of coho smolts in the streams and many anglers really don't know or care about the difference. Note the amount of times coho have shown up in OD lake fisheries. But, I have seen the peak of coho smolt migration be after Memorial Day and have collected coho smolts on their way out as late as July 1. Nice big smolts, lake-reared. I forget if we got any steelhead that late.

I yield to the people with far more knowledge than myself......

I'll be on my rock, next Saturday, and every morning, unless sick, until I start hearing salmon reports from the other river.

Low water condition will be interesting.....I'm thinking there will be some boat dragging this summer.

If you get to my area, say "Hi" to the old man, that uses a 13' rod and Hi Vis line, 40 #, and a bright green topped float......every now and then, that float just disappears.....4th year for that float.

Good luck to all, more important "good health" to all.........