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Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish to Close to All Fishing Effective May 1st

Dana, I know you're likely fishing the NMI @ Moses this weekend but we're going to need your input on this one STAT....

Unreal. 

Article Source: http://nwsportsmanmag.com/editors-blog/

WDFW Announces Salmon Impasse-related Fishery Closures

Several Puget Sound-area marine, freshwater fisheries to close May 1

OLYMPIA – Five lakes and the lower sections of most rivers that flow into Puget Sound will close to all fishing beginning Sunday, May 1, when salmon and steelhead fishing also closes in the Sound.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials said today they are closing state fisheries in waters where salmon migrate while they work to secure the federal permit required to hold salmon fisheries in Puget Sound. Typically, the state and tribes jointly obtain the federal permit for the Sound, where some fish stocks are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. The current permit expires April 30.

However, many fishing opportunities remain available in and around Puget Sound. WDFW has posted a list of rivers and sections of rivers that are open to fishing on its webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/pugetsound_salmon_update. That page also has a list of Puget Sound area lakes that are closed to all fishing.

“Since we didn’t reach an agreement with treaty tribal co-managers on this year’s Puget Sound salmon fisheries, we have to close fishing in areas where we know salmon will be,” said Ron Warren, head of WDFW’s Fish Program.

For the next few months, those areas include several Puget Sound-region lakes and the lower reaches of streams where salmon smolts will travel on their way to the Sound.

Lakes that will close May 1 to all fishing include Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish (King County), Monte Cristo Lake (Snohomish County), Lake Cushman (Mason County), and Barney Lake (Skagit County).

Today’s action also applies to Puget Sound-area rivers that typically open to fishing in early June, though fishery managers will be evaluating those rivers to determine whether any can open on schedule.

All non-tribal commercial and recreational Puget Sound salmon and steelhead fisheries, including those in Marine Area 13 and year-round fishing piers around Puget Sound, will close May 1 to salmon and steelhead fishing until further notice. More detailed information about marine area closures can be found online athttps://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/

The department is working with federal authorities and doing everything possible to re-open Puget Sound marine and freshwater fisheries, Warren said.

“We regret having to close these fisheries,” Warren said. “We know this is a hardship on many communities around Puget Sound and disappoints many anglers.”

In the meantime, Warren urged anglers to consider trying new fishing waters, emphasizing that most Puget Sound area lowland lakes remain open to fishing.

Also, he said recreational fisheries in Puget Sound marine areas that are not affected by the closures include bottomfish, such as lingcod, Pacific cod and cabezon, as well as sea-run cutthroat trout and halibut. These fisheries are covered under a separate permit and are open as scheduled. Anglers should check the 2015-16 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet, available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/, for details.

Salmon fishing will continue as scheduled in the Columbia River and Washington’s ocean waters and north coastal rivers. Information on those fisheries can be found on WDFW’s webpage athttp://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/

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Replies to This Discussion

Is this closed to all fishing or just targeted salmon fishing? The rules seem a bit ambivulous seeing as the marine areas are the only one specified. Either way it doesn't seem right.

Wow....Seems odd that the lakes that are heavily bass fished are closed, but all the rivers (spawning grounds) are open???????

Hi all,

This latest news release is a big blow to anglers right now, especially those of us that consider Lake Washington our home lake. I can't say I have given much thought to our federal permitting to allow bass fishing among ESA-listed salmon stocks, but now this issue has been brought under the microscope. Every year, we obtain a federal permit from NOAA that allows us to fish for gamefish species, such as trout and bass, in areas such as Lake Washington where Chinook and Steelhead are endangered. In previous years, we agreed on our plan with the tribes and were jointly permitted by NOAA to conduct our fisheries, including gamefish fisheries like bass. This year, we did not agree on our fisheries with the tribes, so we have to apply to NOAA separately to conduct our fisheries. I want to assure you that the contact folks for the news release, Larry Phillips and Ron Warren, and others are working hard to submit this permit to NOAA in the next couple weeks. Unless something radically changes, whether or not we fish in Lake Washington this summer and fall will depend on NOAA's decision, and how quickly they make that decision. I know many of you are thinking, what's the impact from bass fishing anyway? Well, I would submit the impact is minimal, but lines in the water around ESA-listed salmon requires federal permitting, and this hurdle is simply a reality. This news highlights the difficulty of managing state fisheries around federally-listed salmon stocks. I'm sorry for this turn of events. Stay tuned for future news releases.

Regards,

Danny Garrett

what a f'n joke show. The notice on wdfw's site does not outline any exclusions, seems that no fishing, means no fishing...i guess being 10 minutes from the Kenmore launch wont mean much this summer. Unfricking beleivable.

Every salmon I catch will now be gutted and tossed back for the eagles.
Danny, what's chance that an agreement like what was made for the Puget sound with bottomfish could be made to seperate the migratory salmon gamefish vs bass/spinyrays in lakes? Or is the classification of gamefish a catch-all for those bodies of water?

this permit should of been submitted months ago if it were to expire on April 30th.  Total lack of responsibility on the WDFW part.  We as sport fishermen should of been applying for our own permit for years and let the tribes do the same on their end.  I guess we know who drives the bus at the state level Tribal fisheries NOT WDFW!

Clearly, the politically charged morons at the WDFW dropped the ball again.  They only represent politically charged interests which are never in the best interest of us anglers and hunters.  What a disgrace!  The entire state government is nothing but corrupt and full lobbyist **s kissers.  Just my 2 cents - which I spent over 26 years defending the right to throw out there.  I am sure they will try to take that away too along with my guns because I may offend someone.  Sorry to sound over the top, but this is pathetic!  They are payed with our tax dollars because they are supposed to support us, not hidden agendas. How would they like it if we closed down a major road into downtown Seattle because they made a mistake?  Wait - they just did that!  Poor planning and undercut bidding and billions of dollars later, a tunnel nightmare for everyone around the dig site and the poor small business owners around 99 and the viaduct are suffering and losing thousands of dollars in revenue.  I guess the WDFW is right in line with the rest of the WA government; especially WashDOT!!!!  Why do we put up with this?!

I guess I understand how trump supporters are created now..

I've made some calls to friends that work inside wdfw. They are pretty much tired of the tribes running the fishery and this is an attempt to create some bad publicity for the tribes. Pretty much just pitting the sportsman against the tribes.

I've already e mailed my congratulations to noaa on their ability to create division amongst the masses.

Jordan,

Gamefish (trout and bass) are separated out from our salmon (food fish), and NOAA approves these fisheries every year when we agree with the tribes. Since there was no agreement, there is no precedent for what NOAA will do. Hopefully, they will approve our gamefish fisheries like they always do, in a timely manner.

Danny


Jordan Doucet said:

Danny, what's chance that an agreement like what was made for the Puget sound with bottomfish could be made to seperate the migratory salmon gamefish vs bass/spinyrays in lakes? Or is the classification of gamefish a catch-all for those bodies of water?
Lake Union and the Ship Canal are still open the way it reads.

This is what happens when the people allow a centralized government MORE power than they are constitutionally allowed. Show me in the constitution where the Federal government is supposed to manage fishing in Washington State.

Mark my words - the Columbia River is next. Maybe not this year, but it will happen.

All of you people voting for the Government to "do more" "give more" "control more" this is a result of your ignorance.  

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