The Online Source for Washington Fishing Information

Discover pass & Boat launch

There was some talk about having to have a $30 Discover pass plus paying $7 to launch at Lake Sammamish

When you got a fishing license you were given parking pass to park at WDFW launch sites According to the website this will act as a discover pass.

Correct me if I am reading this wrong I did try to call the 1-866-320-9933 number but never could get a live person to verify this.

Go to this website http://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/exemptions/

then down load the PDF file Do I need a Discover Pass.

I also wonder would my WDFW pass work if I were to go to a park to hike or is it launch only.

My guess is the 2 passes look so alike that you would have no problem unless someone was to get out of his truck (not likely )as he drove by & read what your pass says.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Gregory McCulley on August 15, 2011 at 11:40am

You have to have it at sammamish because it is a state park not wdfw land so it would fall under the first column of that document that says state parks

Permalink Reply by John G on August 15, 2011 at 12:01pm

Ok so now I read down the site at the bottom It reads

State Parks boat launch sites. You will not need a Discover Pass to launch your boat from a State Parks boat launch if you have the annual Natural Investment Permit. You will need the Discover Pass for boat launches managed by DNR and WDFW and in a state park using a daily launch permit.

So this basically contradicts what the chart says.WTH did they write this crap in Chinese & convert it to English.

annual Natural Investment Permit

Discover Pass

Launch pass

WDFW pass

City pass

WTH get your flipping cosmic calendar out just to launch your boat. I now have to know all the fishing regs & I have to figure out if I am on State Land City Land

Soon your windshield will have so many passes on it you will not be able to see the road.

Permalink Reply by Gregory McCulley on August 15, 2011 at 12:10pm

Yeah I think they made it confusing on purpose so that people would get fed up and just buy the stupid discover pass out of sheer frustration

Permalink Reply by Jon Rappuhn on August 15, 2011 at 1:12pm

My question is here in eastern WA. do you need the discover Pass to drive on the DNR "green Dot" roads esp. if you get out to take a few pics, or have lunch? Nobody I've talked too here in Wenatchee can give me a defininative answer, some say yes, some say no....................

Permalink Reply by Douglas Booth on August 16, 2011 at 11:02am

I just got back from Potholes on sunday, you need to have the discovery pass to launch/park at the free launch site (between state park and Mardon's across from O'Sullivans) and Lind Coulee Launch. The absolute fabulous thing about that is that they have NO way of buying one at the launches. I went to Mardon's to purchase mine.

Also do ya think anyone had restocked the restrooms or done any cleaning, NOOO!

Permalink Reply by Kevin Higgins on August 16, 2011 at 11:30am

If it is DNR you need a Discovery Pass.

Jon Rappuhn said:

My question is here in eastern WA. do you need the discover Pass to drive on the DNR "green Dot" roads esp. if you get out to take a few pics, or have lunch? Nobody I've talked too here in Wenatchee can give me a defininative answer, some say yes, some say no....................

Permalink Reply by P.J. Koshi on August 16, 2011 at 8:38pm

This is not true. At Blythe and any state run public launch it is clearly written on the Discovery Pass website that if you have a fishing license parking pass you do not need a Discovery pass! If you are a non fisherman and did not buy a fishing licences for 2011 you do need the Discovery pass to launch there. It would be wrong for the state to double dip at launches like Blyth and some others in Eastern WA. I know the signs are scary, as they are all over in the basin but don't waste money if you are an avid user of state launches. I can't speak for the future but for this year your fishing parking pass is still good.

"Vehicle Access
A Discover Pass or Vehicle Access Pass is REQUIRED on all recreation sites owned by WDFW. Hunters, fishers, and trappers get a Vehicle Access Pass without additional cost, as part of their first annual license purchase excluding the annual shellfish license."

"Current Vehicle Use Permits will be honored on WDFW lands for the balance of the license year (through March 31, 2012)."

Douglas Booth said:

I just got back from Potholes on sunday, you need to have the discovery pass to launch/park at the free launch site (between state park and Mardon's across from O'Sullivans) and Lind Coulee Launch. The absolute fabulous thing about that is that they have NO way of buying one at the launches. I went to Mardon's to purchase mine.

Also do ya think anyone had restocked the restrooms or done any cleaning, NOOO!

Permalink Reply by Ben Holten on August 16, 2011 at 10:07pm

This whole Discovery pass thing has been a joke. It so confusing. I already donated when I bought my tabs, now this pass, which probably cost $50,000 to make the signs and administer it. This is governement at it's worse. Raise our fishing licenses $20 and call the whole thing good.

Permalink Reply by John G on August 17, 2011 at 9:28am

Ben you are so right You know they spent a fortune on the signs & the machines to print the passes & I bet they created a new $80k year job to admin it. Somebodys in-law got a job out of this deal.

Few years ago they changed from the sticker we used to put on are car to this paper tag that does what fades away in the sun who was that brain donor on that one.

Permalink Reply by Douglas Booth on August 17, 2011 at 10:09am

I guess I fell for the whole Discovery Permit Required sign, I didn't research it. Just a little gun shy after all the tickets being handed out lately.

Permalink Reply by Panic Minnow on August 17, 2011 at 10:22am

The problem now is that they have to keep tabs on everyone going into all these small parks to collect money. Kinda sucks that if you go to one of these smaller parks (Dash Point for instance) and you do not have the 30 dollar yearly pass, you are forced to buy the 10 dollar day pass, as they do not have the machines there to register and print the yearly pass. Oh, forgot that the pass has a license plate number registered to it, so I am sure that it may be only good for that particular vehicle, but I have not read up on that part of it yet.....

Permalink Reply by Jon Rappuhn on August 17, 2011 at 3:15pm

So if I want to say drive from Wenatchee to Ellensberg via the Clouckum Pass, ( a green dot DNR road)(and very scenic) I now have to buy a $30.00 Discovery Pass? This sounds more like a road toll that DOT and the gov. want to impose than anything to do with recreation. I suppose if I want to take Stevens Pass from Wenatchee to Snohomish to fish the Sky or Snohomish, I'll have to but a pass (pay a toll) for that too, (as it is a scenic drive?)

I had a 1992 Dodge "3/4" ton 4X4 pu and paid more in "fees" every year for the license from the time I bought it in 96 til I sold it in 2005 for my Durango, which I have also paid more to license every year since 05.

And I just got notice that the fishing and hunting licenses will go up Sept. 1st ,2011, so if you need an extra permit for anything or are going to hunt, better get them in the next 2 weeks. Some sportsman assoc. (maybe this one) needs to accompany the legislature whenever they are in session or we, at least some of us, will not be able to afford to leave our homes soons.