THE FOLLOWING ARE A WDFW RULE CHANGE NOTICE AND A PRESS RELEASE

Salmon fishing suspended in Marine Area 11
(Tacoma-Vashon Island)

Action: Closes salmon fishing.

Effective date: July 15, 2023, until further notice.

Species affected: All salmon.

Location: Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island).

Reason for action: Salmon fishing is being temporarily suspended because the sublegal encounter limit has reached 83% (3,209 of 3,845) of what was agreed to in this year’s List of Agreed Fisheries (LOAF). Feedback from Puget Sound Sports Fishing Advisory Group and other members of the public indicated a desire to preserve salmon fishing opportunity for August. Therefore, WDFW will suspend the fishery now to preserve opportunity for later in the summer season.

Additional Information: Year-round fishing piers, Dash Point Dock, Des Moines Pier, Les Davis Pier, Point Defiance Boathouse Dock, and Redondo Pier remain open as listed in the 2023/24 Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet.

To be informed of fishery rule changes as they are announced, anglers are encouraged to consider downloading the FishWA app or sign up for WDFW rule update emails at wdfw.wa.gov/about/lists.

Information contact: Fish Program, 360 902-2700.

Quillayute River system closes to fishing
beginning July 15

OLYMPIA – With spring and summer Chinook salmon returning in lower numbers than expected, the Quillayute river system – including the Bogachiel, Calawah, Dickey, Sitkum, and Sol Duc rivers, as well as Thunder Creek – will close to all fishing beginning Saturday, July 15.

Fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Quileute Tribe determined that the systemwide closure was necessary as returns continue to track below preseason expectations. Only 47 Chinook had returned to the Sol Duc Hatchery as of July 12, far below the needed escapement of 900 fish. On average, about half the run has returned to the hatchery by mid-July.

“It’s never an easy decision to close a fishery, but we always have to put conservation first, and the low numbers of Chinook returning so far this year are very concerning,” said Jennifer Whitney, WDFW fish biologist. “We need to make sure that as many fish as possible return to the hatchery for the rest of the summer.”

The following rivers and areas will close to fishing as of July 15:

• Bogachiel River (Clallam Co.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream to the Olympic National Park boundary
• Calawah River, (Clallam Co.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream to the Olympic National Park boundary
• Calawah River, North Fork (Clallam Co.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream
• Calawah River, South Fork (Clallam Co.), from the mouth upstream to the Olympic National Park boundary
• Dickey River (Clallam Co.) from the Olympic National Park boundary upstream including all tributaries and the East and West forks
• Quillayute River (Clallam Co.), from Olympic National Park boundary upstream to confluence of Sol Duc and Bogachiel rivers
• Sitkum River (Clallam Co.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream
• Sol Duc River (Clallam Co.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream to the Olympic National Park boundary
• Thunder Creek (Clallam Co.), including all tributaries, from the mouth upstream

Anglers should be sure to monitor WDFW’s emergency fishing rules page for potential updates to this and other fisheries across the state, or subscribe to email updates. For information on fishing inside Olympic National Park, visit the fishing webpage.