Tentative 2021-22 salmon and steelhead fisheries

Below is key information on tentative 2021-22 salmon and steelhead fisheries in Washington waters. More details will be included in the 2021-22 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet, which will be available in June.
https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/north-falcon/summaries

Ouch. I see several of the fisheries I like ended.

Any indication what TBD means for Baker Lake? I saw other areas are dependent on in season assessments, but it doesn't say anything like that for Baker Lake.

To Be Determined. Probably State and Tribes have not come to agreement but have agreed to finally agree.

Yeah, I get that TBD = to be determined, but wondering what the process for determining is. Last year it was "no season" until they opened it up a week later than usual based on dam counts.

It may be that. A season can open when enough fish are passed into the lake. Like LW sockeye; get actual data and then make a decision.

That would be a very welcome change!

Well, yeah. Manage on reality instead of pipe dreams. Or dreams that came out of a pipe.

This year the pre-season forecast doesn't support a recreational fishery. There was talk of putting language into the LOAF to open it though if the return is higher than expected. I don't know if that made it into the document which I assume is still a work in progress. TBD might mean still in negotiations with tribes or might mean pending actual return.

Will the Harbor ever be open again for anything in September, in the South bay in front of the John's R.?

See last post in fishing the Chehalis, rivrguy says no.

It will all depend on if there are enough fish, which means that there needs to be enough escapement and there needs to be good marine survival.

We have our fish populations, and their ecosystems, depressed to the point of consistently low returns.

The management paradigm is to fish every year, at least some, rather than bite the bullet hard. I think the belief is that there is more societal support for annual mediocre fisheries than some period (and maybe permanent for some mixed-stock fisheries) closures to rebuild the runs and the food base. We don't want to fix the habitat, we don't want to balance the predator/prey, we don't want to share with predators, and we certainly don't want to holistically look at the whole ecosystem (fresh and marine) to get it functional. So, we choose mediocre.

The last few years restrictions on Chinook fisheries in GH were policy driven by failure to make escapement 3 out of five years. This year it is numbers as only 500 NT wild Chinook are available harvest impacts. The Recs would burn that number in a NY moment. Thing is that more GH bound wild Chinook are harvested in the marine fisheries ( AK & BC mostly ) in fact it was around 50% of the total run this year if I recall correctly.

So unless we have a really really good run it is doubtful the terminal rec fisher will get a keep fishery simply because the needed harvestable fish never reach the harbor.

04/24/2021

Chinook fishery in 2D, GH Maine Area....... Might be a way???, have a drawing, like they do for many hunting areas:

1. Decide on how many should be in, say 20 a day

2. Charge $50.00 or more

3. When the Chinook is killed.......boat is done for that day

4. Tag must be attached to fish, if checked.......

or just leave it the way it is

If you want a Chinook, Ocean or in Grays Harbor, looks like the Humptulips will be your choice. I'm sure the drift boaters will make some room for the "out of town" folks to have a chance to catch a "nook".

I remember seeing a harbor map that broke down the areas in letters. 2B, 2C, 2D. Can't find it now. Anyone have it or know where to search for it? MA 2-2 map in the regs is not that detailed.

4/24/2021

A/D are on the Chehalis side.....A is above the 101 Bridge and is the River, D is below the 101 Bridge and is the Marine area.

C is the Marine area on the Humptulips side

Page 106 Washington Sport Fishing Rule, shows the marine areas...

D is shown as 3

C is shown as 2

RUNnGUN, you are correct, used to be in the Sport Fishing Rules but like our good fishing, is long gone.

The old designations A,B,D, and C are basically commercial boundaries from years back. B ( off Westport ) is not utilized due to the separating of the Hump and Chehalis and the failure of Hump Coho to make escapement. Now for Rec North Bay is Hump mouth, East Bay Johns River and North Channel by the Port and above 101 Bridge fresh water which is divided into different reaches.

Found it in the commercial section and appears it's still being used. Thanks.
https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-02/2012_gh_map.pdf

That South channel in Sept. is money!

They should print this phrase on the front page of the rule pamphlet right below "Fishing in Washington" and the WDFW Insignia.

The two that really stand out to me are Skykomish and Clearwater coho.

Not long ago the Skykomish had 280,000 wild coho spawning in it...and everyone complained about how bad of biters they are, and that sportsmen can't hardly even catch any of them...

Now you can keep hatchery coho only, of which there are about five in the entire damn river...and that's only because it's a humpy year and they want to let you keep one of those five hatchery coho if you happen upon one while humpy fishing.

The Clearwater had the best run of coho on the coast, by far, and it was 99% natural origin...big fish, excellent biters. The crowds there went from almost nil to a ton of boats, including many guides, who just boxed up limit after limit after limit. Now it's closed, too.

Fish on...

Todd

I'm sure the drift boaters will make some room for the "out of town" folks to have a chance to catch a "nook".


there all from out of town anymore !!