The Snohomish system is closed

[CP]

 
I guessing it's closed until September:



WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501
wdfw.wa.gov

 
May 12, 2023
Much of Snohomish system closed until further notice
Action: Closes all fishing.
Species affected: All species.
Effective dates and locations:
•   Closed to all fishing until further notice:
o   Snohomish River, from mouth upstream.
o   Snoqualmie River, from mouth to Snoqualmie Falls.
o   Skykomish River, North Fork .
o   Skykomish River, South Fork, from mouth to 600' downstream of Sunset Falls fishway.
o   Cherry Creek.
o   Raging River.
o   Sultan River.
o   Tolt River, from mouth to confluence of North and South Forks.
o   Wallace River, from mouth to 200' upstream of water intake of salmon hatchery.
•   Closed to all fishing beginning May 30, 2023, until further notice. Open May 27 through May 29, 2023, under rules listed in 2022/23 Washington Sportfishing Rules pamphlet:
o   Skykomish River, from mouth to Highway US2 Bridge (above Big Eddy).
Reason for action: Limited allowable take of wild Chinook salmon in the Snohomish system necessitates strict controls to conserve impacts for pink and coho salmon fisheries this fall.
Additional information: The Snohomish wild Chinook salmon population saw a record low return of 1,023 in 2019—the year when dominant age class four-year old Chinook salmon returning in 2023 would have been hatched—there is now significant concern for a poor return of wild Chinook salmon to the Snohomish and its tributaries this year. See also, https://wdfw.medium.com/snohomish-basin-salmon-steelhead-fisheries-limited-to-protect-wild-chinook-f0b21fbec6c.
Skykomish River, from U.S. Hwy. 2 upstream to the forks, will open as scheduled, fishing from floating device and bait prohibited.
Information contact: Team Mill Creek, 425-775-1311.

[jackelope]

It’s closed until it isn’t closed.  Limit the hits to the kings now so they don’t have to shut it down during humpy and coho season.

[87Ford]

  Limit the hits to the kings now so they don’t have to shut it down during humpy..  season.

River humpies.. 

[CP]

  Limit the hits to the kings now so they don’t have to shut it down during humpy..  season.

River humpies.. 

Yum. 

[jackelope]

  Limit the hits to the kings now so they don’t have to shut it down during humpy..  season.

River humpies.. 

I’ve caught dozens of humpies, half of them on a fly rod. None of them out of the salt. None of them have ever come home with me. They’re tons of fun to catch, even in the rivers. They’re also pretty easy to catch and pretty plentiful.

[jmscon]

I’m glad they are trying be proactive and but I know they will have a heck of a time enforcing it.
I wish there was a better way to count the number of fish entering the river systems and open or close it when they have gotten the fish they want up river or close when they haven’t.

  Limit the hits to the kings now so they don’t have to shut it down during humpy..  season.

River humpies.. 

I’ve caught dozens of humpies, half of them on a fly rod. None of them out of the salt. None of them have ever come home with me. They’re tons of fun to catch, even in the rivers. They’re also pretty easy to catch and pretty plentiful.

I’ve caught quite a few down stream of city of Snohomish that were really bright and good eating. Just like any humpy, best if eaten the day caught.

[metlhead]

Maybe, just maybe, there aren't enough returning chinook because well fed orcas are eating them. Does this closure affect summer steelheading on any streams?

[simondude]

The Snohomish system will close to ALL fishing until further notice starting May 30th.

[jackelope]

Here’s the important part.



As soon as it’s Humpy and Coho season, it’ll open back up. I’m saying August.

[87Ford]

Here’s the important part.
As soon as it’s Humpy and Coho season, it’ll open back up. I’m saying August.

It's scheduled to open Sept 16 for humpies and Coho.   

[CP]

As I understand it, the entire system is closed as of May 12 and will remain closed until, probably Sept. 16th but it appears that they left themselves some wiggle room on the reopen.

Except the section of the Skykomish River, from mouth to Highway US2 Bridge (above Big Eddy), which will open May 27 through May 29.
 
I could be wrong, reading comprehension was never my strongpoint, and they appear to have deliberately made this confusing.

Anyway, by mid Sept., most pinks are slimed up and tight scaled even in salt water.  Aug 16th would be a much better opening date.

Meanwhile, the sealions off Mukilteo and Everett are having multiple Chinook encounters, every day, all day long. 

[chukar58]

Also as I recall the sky was open for about five days last year coho retention so yes you could still fish.   Really quite sad as I have fished the skykomish for nearly 40 years and never thought I would see most of the plentiful fish runs wiped out.   Let manage all the predators both on land and in the water folks.

[jackelope]

I guess I feel like by august the impact on the kings will be minimal and the pink run will be prime. Totally guessing but my guess is they reopen early for pinks in august. Hence the wiggle room they left themselves. Seems like they’re constantly juggling/changing/moving salmon fishing opening and closing dates on the rivers.

[87Ford]

I think it's the Snoqualmie fall Chinook that are a big part of the reason the Snohomish isn't scheduled to open till 9/16.  I'll be surprised if they open it before then 

[BigCutty3]

Yeah isn’t it ironic that the river in Wild Fish Conservancy’s back yard is struggling to make escapement for the two listed species in Puget Sound, wild winter steelhead and fall Chinook.  It must be the hatcheries fault.  Oh wait, there are no salmon hatcheries on the Snoqualmie. 

[Jake Dogfish]

Yeah isn’t it ironic that the river in Wild Fish Conservancy’s back yard is struggling to make escapement for the two listed species in Puget Sound, wild winter steelhead and fall Chinook.  It must be the hatcheries fault.  Oh wait, there are no salmon hatcheries on the Snoqualmie.

A significant number of fish are harvested in Alaska and Canada.  Add in pinnipeds, Birds, Ocean impacts, tribal harvest and more.  It is amazing that these fish are still alive.

[jeffro]

Yeah isn’t it ironic that the river in Wild Fish Conservancy’s back yard is struggling to make escapement for the two listed species in Puget Sound, wild winter steelhead and fall Chinook.  It must be the hatcheries fault.  Oh wait, there are no salmon hatcheries on the Snoqualmie.

Welcome to WDFW (Identifying as she, it and dunno)

[jackelope]

One of the dads on my kid’s club volleyball team is a fisheries biologist on the sound. I’ll ask him what he knows. Seems to be pretty in the loop, even if it’s not stuff he’s directly involved with. I’ll see him Memorial Day weekend.

[85yota]

This seems ridiculous.. are the natives going to stop gill netting at the mouth of the snohomish? And out of curiosity why would they close down trout fishing. I mean couldn't simple rules such as hook size be ok? Or even make it selective gear rules temporarily. I can gurantee half the people who fish trout won't hear about this, and I'm sure the guiding service up the sky forks just had his summer ruined.. It sure seems to me when covid hit and all rivers were closed for non natives and no licenses were returned.. people just started saying screw the laws and with lack of wardens this just doesn't seem realistic

[Mfowl]

The Sky was dead today. Only fished it for a few hours this AM but did not see or hear of a fish being touched. Plenty of boat and bank fishers but slim pickins. I won't be back out this weekend. Maybe if there is an opening letter in June.

[7mmfan]

We fished yesterday as well. Know of a handful of kings and one summer run caught. We got two downstream winter steelhead and a couple cutthroat. Tough tough fishing. Water was lower and clearer than I'd have liked.

[87Ford]

Fished about four hours this evening, one summer steelhead.