Close A Portion Of The North Fork Of The Stillaguamish River To All Fishing

Action: Close 4.5 miles of the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River to all fishing, including catch-and-release fishing.

Effective date: Aug. 5, 2013, through Sept. 30, 2013.

Species affected: All game fish species.

Location: Stillaguamish River from the Highway 530 bridge at Cicero upstream to the bridge at Oso (Oso Loop Road/221st Ave. SE).

Reason for action: To protect summer steelhead holding in the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River below the mouth of Deer Creek. The concern is that low flows and excessively warm water temperatures will result in high handling mortality of steelhead.

Additional Information: This fishery may reopen early if conditions improve (flows rise and water temperature cools), or the closure may be extended if current conditions persist past Sept. 30, 2013.

Information contacts: Jennifer Whitney, District 13 fish biologist, (425) 775-1311