Baker Lake Opening July 8 For Sockeye

With surprisingly strong early numbers of sockeye, Washington managers are opening Baker Lake a week earlier than planned.

Sockeye fishing will open Saturday, July 8, with a daily bag of three. The season had otherwise been slated to open July 15.

“A record number of sockeye have been trucked Baker Lake for this early in July. Due to the unprecedented number of early returning fish, the lake will open earlier than scheduled to maximize opportunity,” a WDFW rule change notice sent out late this afternoon states.

The buildup to this year’s fishery has created a bit of a kerfluffle in the North Sound fishing world, with some pushing WDFW for an early opener and others taking heat for essentially recommending the agency hold the course on what’s in the regulations pamphlet – which came out of spring’s annual North of Falcon salmon fishing season negotiations – because people had planned their fishing trips around the certainty of that mid-July date. It was always ultimately WDFW’s call.

It also saw WDFW reverse itself over the matter of just a few hours today. In early afternoon, a higher ranking official told this reporter that the lake opener was “on schedule for the 15th.”

Then, three hours later, they said that the agency had “completely changed course and will open Saturday.”

Daily counts at the Baker River fish trap show the run way out ahead of all other sockeye runs to the system over the past decade, a good sign, but possibly a signal that the fish are just early. The Skagit at Mount Vernon is flowing at about 5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the average for this time of year. But it could also be a harbinger that the run is larger than predicted – fingers crossed!

This year’s forecast is for 31,296 back to the Skagit system, with 80 percent of the nontribal share dedicated to the lake fishery.

THE FOLLOWING IS A WDFW PRESS RELEASE

Baker Lake sockeye fishery opens July 8, one week ahead of schedule

OLYMPIA – Anglers will be able to fish for sockeye salmon in Baker Lake from July 8 through Aug. 31, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

A record number of 14,647 sockeye have been trucked to Baker Lake for this early in July. Due to the unprecedented number of early returning fish, the lake will open earlier than the original scheduled date of July 15 to maximize fishing opportunity.

The daily limit is three adult sockeye salmon that exceed 18 inches. Two poles will be allowed with the Two Pole Endorsement. Each angler aboard a vessel may deploy salmon angling gear until the daily salmon limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved. The catch record card code is 825 for Baker Lake.

The lake escapement goal is 1,500 fish left to spawn naturally in the lake and tributaries. The Baker Lake preseason forecast was 31,296 and accounts for the total return to the Skagit before fisheries. For more information, to go the WDFW Baker Lake webpage.

Puget Sound salmon seasons are a result of an annual collaborative state and tribal salmon season-setting process known as North of Falcon (NOF). The public is invited to participate in this process in late winter and spring of each year and can visit the WDFW NOF webpage for more information.

For full fishery details and regulations, see the emergency rule change at WDFW’s website. Permanent regulations can be found in the 2023-24 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet. To be notified of in-season rule changes as they are announced sign up for email notifications at wdfw.wa.gov/about/lists.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.