Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 84
Effective dates: 12:01 a.m. June 3 through June 6, 2015. The lake is open for anglers participating in the Kids Fishing event June 6 from 6 a.m. through 12:00 p.m. Only youth anglers will be allowed to fish after the event for the remainder of the day. Species affected: All game fish. Location: Heart Lake, located within the city limits of Anacortes in Skagit County. Reasons for action: This rule change is necessary to ensure a successful Kids Fishing event. The fish will be stocked in the lake... Full story
Effective date: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, June 24, 2015. Species affected: All shrimp species including spot shrimp. Location: Marine Areas 8-1 and 8-2. Reason for action: In Marine areas 8-1 and 8-2 insufficient quota remains for a standard full day of fishing, so the opening has been modified to take the small amount of remaining quota. This is an experimental opening to determine if smaller amounts of quota can be targeted and harvested by the recreational fishery. Other information:... Full story
Effective dates: June 3, 2015, until further notice. Species affected: White sturgeon Location: The Columbia River and tributaries from The John Day Dam upstream to McNary (The John Day Reservoir). Reason for action: The harvest guideline of 500 fish is expected to be reached. Other information: Catch-and-release fishing for sturgeon will continue to be allowed except for no sturgeon angling is allowed in the sanctuary. The John Day Pool spawning sanctuary is in place. The area from the... Full story
OLYMPIA - Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fish managers will release "early winter" hatchery steelhead into inland lakes again this year, now that federal fisheries officials have decided to conduct a full-scale environmental impact analysis of all Puget Sound hatchery steelhead programs. WDFW leaders announced the action after learning that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has decided to develop an environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the effects of... Full story
Washington's backyard wildlife enthusiasts have long known that "snags" or dead and dying trees are valuable for lots of species, providing meals for insectivorous birds, nesting cavities for owls and squirrels, and much more. As long as a snag doesn't pose a safety hazard for people and property, it's an enviable backyard wildlife sanctuary feature, a veritable "animal inn". Over 1,200 wildlife species in North America rely on dead, dying, or hollow trees for dens, roost areas, and feeding... Full story
Some of Washington’s most popular fishing opportunities are available for anglers in the coming weeks, including trout in hundreds of rivers, crab in south Puget Sound, and chinook salmon in the Columbia River and in ocean waters along the coast. Sound like fun? Prospective anglers who are interested in fishing but don’t have a fishing license can get in on the action during Free Fishing Weekend, scheduled June 6-7. During those two days, no license will be required to fish or gather shellfish i... Full story
Actions: Implements a new salmon fishery management area in the Columbia River near the mouth of the Yakima River in the Tri-cities. Implements protective salmon daily limits in the new management area, while providing more liberal daily limits in the remainder of the Hanford Reach upstream. Effective date: June 16 through Aug. 15, 2015 Species affected: Chinook and sockeye salmon Area 1: Columbia River from Hwy. 395 Bridge at Pasco to the Interstate 182 Bridge at Richland near Columbia Point... Full story
VANCOUVER - Children with disabilities will have a chance to reel in some big trout during a special fishing event July 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Merwin Fish Hatchery, east of Woodland. More than 100 young people and their families are expected to turn out for the 17th annual Merwin Special Kids Day, sponsored by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Pacific Power and GoPAW. Sponsors ask that participants be pre-registered by June 30, by calling 1-800-899-4421. Prior to... Full story
OLYMPIA – Starting Wednesday (June 3), the catch limit for spring chinook salmon will increase to two adult fish per day for Columbia River anglers fishing from the estuary to a point 300 miles upstream. With two weeks remaining in the popular fishery, resource managers from Washington and Oregon today agreed to increase the daily catch limit for hatchery adult spring chinook from one to two. The new rule will allow anglers to catch and keep up to two hatchery chinook salmon, or two hatchery s... Full story
Effective date: Immediately Species affected: Pacific halibut Location: Marine Area 1 Reason for action: The Marine Area 1 recreational halibut fishery has taken the Pacific halibut quota set aside for the all-depth fishery. There is not enough quota remaining for another day. There is sufficient quota set aside to allow fishing in the Marine Area 1 Nearshore Area until further notice. This rule conforms to federal action taken by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the... Full story
Locations: A) Below Ice Harbor: Snake River from the South Bound Highway 12 Bridge near Pasco upstream about 7 miles to the fishing restriction boundary below Ice Harbor Dam; B) Below Little Goose: Snake River from Texas Rapids boat launch (south side of the river upstream of the mouth of Tucannon River) to the fishing restriction boundary below Little Goose Dam. This zone includes the rock and concrete area between the juvenile bypass return pipe and Little Goose Dam along the south shoreline... Full story
OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has selected a design concept for a project that addresses chronic dike failures and restores estuary habitat on Leque Island near Stanwood. Dikes built on the island in the early 1900s have required costly repairs over the past 10 years. After extensive evaluation, the department selected a concept that outlines the removal of most of the existing levees. However, a section of levee on the eastern portion of the property will be... Full story
Effective dates: One hour before official sunrise June 6 to one hour after official sunset on Sept. 30, 2015. Species affected: Trout Location: Rattlesnake Lake (King County) Reason for action: Catchable fish planted in the fall of 2014 remain abundant enough to provide additional sport harvest opportunity. Other information: Selective gear rules are still in effect at Rattlesnake Lake. The fishery will revert to catch-and-release only beginning on Oct. 1, 2015. Information Contact: Jennifer... Full story
Effective dates: Immediately through July 31, 2015. Species affected: Sturgeon. Locations: Skagit River (Skagit Co.) from the mouth to Hwy. 536 at Mt. Vernon (Memorial Hwy. Bridge); From Hwy. 536 at Mt. Vernon (Memorial Hwy. Bridge) to the mouth of Gilligan Creek. Daily limits: Catch and release only. Reasons for action: This action will implement changes adopted during the 2015/16 North of Falcon regulation process. Other information: Sturgeon gear rules apply (see page 16 of the regulations... Full story
Effective dates: June 16 through July 15, 2015 Species affected: Sockeye salmon Location: Skagit River (Skagit County) from Hwy. 536 at Mt. Vernon (Memorial Hwy. Bridge) to mouth of Gilligan Creek. Daily limits: 3 sockeye salmon only Reasons for action: This action will implement the 2015/16 salmon rules recently adopted during North of Falcon regulation process. Other information: Season may close earlier if the guideline is attained. Please check https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/... Full story
Locations: Grande Ronde River from mouth of Buford Creek (approximately ½ mile downstream of the Highway 129 Bridge at Boggan's Oasis) upstream to the Washington/Oregon state line. Dates: June 13, 2015, until further notice. Daily Limits: Seven hatchery chinook (adipose fin clipped), of which no more than two may be adult chinook salmon. Anglers must cease fishing when the hatchery adult limit has been retained for the day. Reason for action: The are sufficient numbers of returning spring chinoo... Full story
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has closed public access to the Fir Island Farms Reserve, where work has begun to restore 131 acres of tidal marsh in the Skagit River Delta. Heavy trucks are scheduled to begin moving dirt and materials next week as part of a two-year project to set back the existing mile-long dike to improve habitat for fish and wildlife, said Belinda Rotton, Skagit Wildlife Area Manager. The popular birding area, purchased by the department as a... Full story
OLYMPIA – Effective immediately, the recreational and commercial Dungeness crab fisheries on the southern coast of Washington will close until further notice because of elevated marine toxin levels, state shellfish managers announced today. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) closed crab fishing today (June 5) in coastal waters stretching from the Washington/Oregon border north to Point Chehalis. This area includes Marine Area 1 (Columbia River) and the portion of Marine A... Full story
PHOENIX – The last thing Jenni Rice expected Wednesday was to get a call from the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The Cottonwood woman had been randomly chosen to receive a $500 gift card to Sportsman's Warehouse, an incentive to use the department's online service to apply early for 2015 fall hunt permit-tags. Rice was among almost 30,000 hopeful hunters who applied online before the 11:59 p.m. (MST) June 2 incentive deadline and was automatically entered into a random drawing for the gift c... Full story
This week is the final stocking of the season until September, but we're making it a BIG one! Please enjoy a safe and fun summer with your families! Here's the load sheet for this week (a total of 27,300 pounds of catfish): Tucson area -- Lakeside Lake 1,500 (pounds); Kennedy Lake 2,000; Silverbell Lake 2,500; Sahuarita Lake 2,000 Maricopa area -- Copper Sky Lake 1,500 Phoenix area -- Veterans Oasis Lake 1,000; Desert Breeze Lake 1,000; Kiwanis Lake 1,000; Red Mountain Lake 1,500; Riverview... Full story
KINGMAN, Ariz. –– The deadline to apply to attend a unique Desert Bighorn Sheep Natural History Workshop is just days away. The Arizona Game and Fish Department's Region 3 office in Kingman will host two, two-day Desert Bighorn Sheep Natural History Workshops on July 31-Aug. 1 and Aug. 7-8. The deadline to apply is noon Wednesday (June 17). The first day of each workshop is mandatory classroom education from 6-8 p.m. at the Kingman office. On the second day, participants enjoy a four-hour, she... Full story
KINGMAN, Ariz. –– The Arizona Game and Fish Department will be part of a multi-agency enforcement effort on the Colorado River system this weekend, checking for individuals operating under the influence (OUI). Game and Fish and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be enforcing Arizona's OUI legal limit of a .08 blood-alcohol content. All boaters passing through the checkpoint will be subject to a systematic safety inspection. Operators will be checked for alcohol impairment and required saf... Full story
NEWPORT, R.I. (June 4, 2015) – In late June, one of sailing’s most celebrated yachts will attempt to retrace the steps of her first, and most significant, victory. The 52-foot yawl Dorade, owned by Pam Levy and Matt Brooks (Tiburon, Calif.), will join 40 other boats competing in the Transatlantic Race 2015, which starts off Newport, R.I., and finishes off the southwestern coast of England. The race is organized by the Royal Yacht Squadron, the New York Yacht Club, the Royal Ocean Racing Clu... Full story
Boating United is the grassroots platform of the recreational boating industry. It is comprised of boating manufacturers, businesses and supporters who share the common goal of protecting and promoting the industry. Take action, learn about the issues and more at http://boatingunited.com/ Speechless. The EPA recetly announced its plans to increase the country's ethanol mandate to historic levels. That's right, despite the science and facts about the harms of ethanol, the government is... Full story
Grand Canyon, Ariz. –Coconino County Public Health Services District, in collaboration with the National Park Service, will be initiating monthly monitoring for plague at various locations on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The purpose is to monitor public areas for the presence of plague and, if detected, to then initiate actions to prevent the potential spread of plague to the public. The process of monitoring for plague involves trapping and anesthetizing squirrels, removing a... Full story
