WDFW Announces Coastal Winter Steelhead Season-setting Meetings

THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is hosting a series of online public meetings this fall to discuss development of the 2023-24 coastal steelhead fishing season.

Anglers and anyone interested in steelhead management and conservation along the Washington coast can attend the first of these public meetings beginning at 6 p.m. on Oct. 25.

The primary goal of the first town hall meeting will be to solicit fishery proposals from the public for the upcoming season. Fishery managers with WDFW will also present information on the steelhead management framework, trends in coastal steelhead abundance and environmental indicators, upcoming forecasts, and summarize the 2022-23 season.

“We’ve seen declines in steelhead abundance across the Washington coast in recent years, which presents a unique challenge for fisheries in this region,” said James Losee, WDFW’s Fish Program manager for the Coastal Region. “Public input is a key part of the process for determining a path forward for coastal steelhead conservation while still offering meaningful fishing opportunities where we can.”

Staff will also present information about this year’s coastal steelhead stocks to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Fish Committee in October, followed by additional public and Commission meetings later in November. Upcoming steelhead seasons will be informed by the Statewide Steelhead Management Plan.

Members of the public can participate in the Oct. 25 meeting online or by phone; for more information on this and other upcoming virtual town halls, or to provide comments or suggestions online, please visit WDFW’s coastal steelhead webpage.