Full Closure of Steelhead Fishing

[Alchase]

Saw this on Fox
 
https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/washington-closes-steelhead-fishing-population-concerns

Washington Closes Steelhead fishing because returns are less then 30% of expected. 

[hunter399]

Saw this on Fox
 
https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/washington-closes-steelhead-fishing-population-concerns

Washington Closes Steelhead fishing because returns are less then 30% of expected. 

So I guess I don't need that catch record card.

[metlhead]

I like the picture of salmon that went with article.

[Stein]

Saw this on Fox
 
https://www.foxnews.com/great-outdoors/washington-closes-steelhead-fishing-population-concerns

Washington Closes Steelhead fishing because returns are less then 30% of expected. 

So I guess I don't need that catch record card.

Don't forget to send it in or you get to pay $10 for the opportunity of not fishing.

[Smokeploe]

Still open on the Cowlitz River and the Columbia River drainage.

Smokeploe

[Bareback]

Another article full of fluff……… hatchery returns on the Chehalis are well above normal since no one was allowed to fish. The Skookumchuck has more brats then they know what to do with. The Bogey had an exceptional return of brats. The Quileute system only started counting redds 3 days ago. Wild fish numbers will be unknown for months but guides were seeing lots of redds and tons of fish prior to 3/1. But, those don’t count. February redds are rare, seeing several is promising. But hey, WDFW is an entity worth trusting, it must be true……… so the media regurgitates lies.

[JimmyHoffa]

Another article full of fluff……… hatchery returns on the Chehalis are well above normal since no one was allowed to fish. The Skookumchuck has more brats then they know what to do with. The Bogey had an exceptional return of brats. The Quileute system only started counting redds 3 days ago. Wild fish numbers will be unknown for months but guides were seeing lots of redds and tons of fish prior to 3/1. But, those don’t count. February redds are rare, seeing several is promising. But hey, WDFW is an entity worth trusting, it must be true……… so the media regurgitates lies.

Just have to hope that any updated numbers are timed such that if a state season can't reopen (doubt it would) that it is late enough that the fish don't get slammed under foregone opportunity.

[Bareback]

Unfortunately, even if the tribes stopped fishing too, at least on the Quilayute come April 1 they’ll start fishing for springers. I’ve always said, hatchery springers are the demise of wild steelhead. Nets and springers pretty much wipe out kelts. Repeat spawners are the key to robust wild steelhead runs. Without repeat spawners the recruitment is less then 1:1 and stocks slowly dwindle away.

[7mmfan]

Unfortunately, even if the tribes stopped fishing too, at least on the Quilayute come April 1 they’ll start fishing for springers. I’ve always said, hatchery springers are the demise of wild steelhead. Nets and springers pretty much wipe out kelts. Repeat spawners are the key to robust wild steelhead runs. Without repeat spawners the recruitment is less then 1:1 and stocks slowly dwindle away.

This. And per WDFW kelts caught in Indian nets are only reported as a fraction of a fish,  so they aren't even considered to be a whole fish which is sick. Just no care for the resource.

[metlhead]

I've heard these rumors of Chehalis tribs being full of fish. Does anyone have any real numbers. Not second hand reports of somebody's friend who knows somebody at a hatchery. Always wanted to know those numbers for curiosity.

[Stein]

They had a couple million pinks and it wasn't enough to open separate pink limits so I can see how a few thousand fish isn't even a blip on the radar.

[Bullkllr]

I've heard these rumors of Chehalis tribs being full of fish. Does anyone have any real numbers. Not second hand reports of somebody's friend who knows somebody at a hatchery. Always wanted to know those numbers for curiosity.

As far as what is published, you may be aware of these. https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/Weekly%20Escapement_3-3-2022.pdf These are fish actually captured at the hatcheries. At least what they are letting us know. The numbers for this report are cumulative to March 3.
From:https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/hatcheries/escapement#weekly-reports

Wild fish in the river... always a much bigger question mark.

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