Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 263
OLYMPIA – Salmon fishing in Grays Harbor and its tributaries will close Monday, Oct. 26, to help protect wild coho salmon, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today. The early closures include sport and commercial salmon fisheries within Grays Harbor and recreational salmon fishing in all tributaries of the harbor. Recreational salmon fishing was scheduled to run through Jan. 31 in most of the affected fisheries. Catch data suggests the return of coho is s... Full story
OLYMPIA - Anglers fishing in ocean waters off Neah Bay will be allowed to keep one chinook daily beginning Friday, Aug. 21, state fishery managers announced today. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) closed Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) to chinook retention earlier this summer when the catch of chinook salmon was expected to reach the harvest guideline for the area. But catch rates dropped in the final days, allowing WDFW to reopen the area to chinook retention Aug. 14 and 15, said... Full story
Action: Closes the Sol Duc, Bogachiel, Calawah, and Dickey rivers and upper 475 yards of the Quillayute River to all fishing. Effective date: Aug. 1, 2015, until further notice. Species affected: All species. Location: The Dickey River, Sol Duc River, Calawah River, Bogachiel River and the Quillayute River from the confluence of the Sol Duc and Bogachiel Rivers downstream 475 yards to fluorescent orange paint on rocks. Reason for action: Low water and higher than normal water temperatures are... Full story
OLYMPIA – Anglers must release any chinook salmon they catch in ocean waters off Neah Bay beginning Sunday, Aug. 2, state fishery managers announced today. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) estimates that anglers will meet the chinook harvest guideline by the end of the day Aug. 1 in the section of Neah Bay that is west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line. The section east of the line is already scheduled to close to chinook retention at the end of the day July 31. Last week, the d... Full story
Action: Lake Wenatchee opens for sockeye salmon fishing. Effective date: July 30, 2015 (one hour before official sunrise). Species affected: Sockeye salmon. Daily limit: The daily limit per angler is 4 sockeye, minimum size of 12 inches. Location: Lake Wenatchee (Chelan Co.). Reason for action: Based on current passage over Tumwater Dam, at least 30,000 sockeye are projected to enter into Lake Wenatchee. This provides at least 7,000 sockeye for harvest above the natural spawning escapement goal... Full story
Washington, D.C. – July 30, 2015 – On the heels of the recent announcement to close over 10,000 acres of Biscayne National Park to fishing, a coalition of recreational fishing and boating organizations praised the introduction of a bipartisan bill, H.R. 3310, that will help stop this and similar unwarranted fishing closures from occurring. Led by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), and 28 other original sponsors, the “Preserving Public Acces... Full story
Action: Closes the Sol Duc, Bogachiel, Calawah, and Dickey rivers and all their tributaries, and upper 475 yards of the Quillayute River to all fishing. Effective date: Aug. 1, 2015, until further notice. Species affected: All species. Location: The Dickey River, Sol Duc River, Calawah River, Bogachiel River and all tributaries. The Quillayute River from the confluence of the Sol Duc and Bogachiel Rivers downstream 475 yards to fluorescent orange paint on rocks. Reason for action: Low water and... Full story
Summer fisheries are now in full swing, providing some of the best fishing opportunities of the year. Washingtonians are reeling in salmon off the coast, pulling up pots full of crab in Puget Sound, and casting for trout in alpine lakes on both sides of the Cascades. Also this month, hunters will take to the field to hunt for black bear in the first big-game hunt of the season. Many others will also be out scouting hunting areas to prepare for deer and elk seasons beginning in September.... Full story
OLYMPIA - State shellfish managers today doubled the area of Washington's coast closed to crab fishing after finding elevated levels of marine toxins in crab tested north to the Queets River. Effective immediately, recreational and commercial crab fishing is prohibited in 45 miles of coastal waters from Point Chehalis to the Queets River, expanding on a closure in effect since early June that extends 45 miles south to the Columbia River. Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the Washington... Full story
Action: Methow River closed daily to fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight. Effective date: Aug. 5, 2015, until further notice. Species affected: All species. Location: The Methow River (Okanogan County) from County Road 1535 Bridge (lower Burma Road) upstream to Weeman Bridge (8 miles upstream of Winthrop). Reason for action: Afternoon water temperatures in the Methow River are approaching the upper limit for survival of trout. The Methow River receives significant fishing pressure during the summer.... Full story
Action: Fishing for salmon is closed south and west of a line from Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point to the Hood Canal Bridge within Marine Catch Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet), except angling for salmon from shore is allowed from the Hood Canal Bridge to the northern boundary of Salsbury Point Park. Effective Date: Aug. 6 through Aug. 15, 2015. Species affected: Coho and pink salmon. Location: Waters south and west of a line from Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point to the Hood Canal Bridge in Marine... Full story
OLYMPIA – State fishery managers are seeking public comments on proposed sportfishing rules for the freshwater areas of Puget Sound and the Washington coast. As part of that effort, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has scheduled four meetings to discuss rules proposed for the 2016 season with the public. All but one of the proposals is specific to the rivers and lakes of the Puget Sound and coastal regions. The exception is a proposal for the lower Columbia River that was h... Full story
Action: Closes to all fishing the Clearwater River (Jefferson Co.) and its tributaries, and all tributaries to the Queets River, including the Salmon River outside Olympic National Park and the Quinault Indian Reservation. Effective date: Aug. 10, 2015, until further notice. Species affected: All species. Location: In west Jefferson County, the Clearwater River and its tributaries, and tributaries of the Queets River (Matheny Creek and the Salmon River outside Olympic National Park and the... Full story
Action: Closes Black River within Grays Harbor and Thurston counties. Effective Dates: Aug. 12, 2015 until further notice. Species affected: All species. Location: Black River from the mouth upstream to Black Lake. Reason for action: Low stream flows, increased water temperatures, and higher potential encounter rates subject these fish to stress, injury, or death. Information Contact: Chad Herring, Region 6 Area Biologist 360-249 -1299. Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license,... Full story
OLYMPIA - The Washington departments of Natural Resources (DNR) and Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have appointed five new members to the Teanaway Community Forest Advisory Committee to help the agencies implement the recently created forest management plan. The committee played a key role in helping the agencies develop the management plan, which was published in June and will continue to advise the agencies on operations within the forest. The committee, which retains 15 of its original members,... Full story
OLYMPIA - A popular fishing pier owned by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) on the Seattle waterfront will be closed during the city's annual Hempfest event this weekend. Pier 86 in Centennial Park will close at 6 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 13, and will reopen to the public Monday, Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. Russell Link, regional WDFW wildlife manager, said the department will temporarily close Pier 86 on the recommendation of the event's producer, who expressed concerns about public safety... Full story
OLYMPIA - Anglers will be allowed to retain two chinook salmon daily beginning Saturday, Aug. 15, in ocean waters off Westport (Marine Area 2), state fishery managers announced today. In addition, anglers can keep one chinook per day while fishing off Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) for two days, Aug. 14 and 15. Anglers off Westport were previously limited to one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit to ensure that the fishery would remain open for the entire season, said Doug Milward, ocean... Full story
Washington, D.C. – June 18, 2015 – The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) announced today is official endorsement of Bass Anglers for Saltwater Conservation (BASC), a new intuitive online advocacy system that allows fishing enthusiasts to write, call, or tweet their legislators through prewritten engagements online. The official BASC site launch was announced on June 1 by B.A.S.S. “Bass Anglers for Saltwater Conservation is an important tool for anglers nationwide, not just bass... Full story
VANCOUVER, Wash. - State fishery managers have scheduled a public meeting Thursday (June 25) in Vancouver to discuss changes in the way the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is managing this year's return of hatchery steelhead to the Kalama River. The meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at WDFW's Region 5 office at 2108 Grand Blvd. With summer-run steelhead now moving into the river in increasing numbers, fishery managers are taking action to reduce the number of hatchery... Full story
OLYMPIA - The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a new management policy designed to restore depleted runs of wild, natural-origin chinook salmon in Willapa Bay during a public meeting June 12-13 in Olympia. The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the Governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), also approved several land transactions and a proposal to reopen fisheries for some flatfish in portions of two bays in Hood Canal. Developed over... Full story
OLYMPIA - State fishery managers are taking steps to protect fish that are affected by drought conditions, and are asking anglers to do their part as well. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has restricted some fishing opportunities and will need to restrict others. In addition, the department will likely release some hatchery fish early and transport salmon and steelhead that are unable to make it upstream to spawning grounds. This year's low snowpack and warm weather have... Full story
OLYMPIA – State fishery managers have stocked King County’s Morton Lake with trout months ahead of schedule due to drought conditions. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recently released the 1,500 rainbow trout, averaging one pound each, into Morton Lake near Kent. Typically, WDFW stocks the lake in October. This year’s drought, however, has reduced water flows at the department’s Soos Creek Hatchery, to levels that won’t support holding these trout until October. “While th... Full story
WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 16, 2015 – Leaders in the recreational fishing community today lauded new bipartisan legislation by U.S. Representatives Garret Graves (R-La.) and Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) that the president of the Center for Coastal Conservation predicted “will better conserve Gulf red snapper and finally give recreational anglers reasonable access to red snapper fishing.” “For too long, the federal government has relied on outdated and inaccurate information to unfairly limit recreatio... Full story
OLYMPIA – Kelly Flaherty of Priest River, Idaho, has set a new state record for the largest tiger trout caught in Washington, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed today. The 53-year-old angler caught the 18.49-pound fish measuring 32.5 inches on Cinco de Mayo, May 5, while bait fishing with a worm and egg at Bonaparte Lake, near Tonasket in Okanogan County. “The fish skyrocketed out of the water,” said Flaherty, who was fishing from a boat launch. “As soon as I hooke... Full story
Action: The portion of Marine Area 7 South that is west of Point Colville is reopening for eight days of recreational shrimp fishing. The portion of Marine Area 7 South that is east of Point Colville will remain closed to shrimp fishing. Effective date: 4:30 a.m. July 21 through 10 p.m. July 28, 2015. Species affected: All shrimp species including spot shrimp. Location: Marine Area 7 South: west of a line projected due south from Point Colville on Lopez Island. This open area includes the... Full story
