Fishing heats up in July for Salmon, Steelhead and Dungeness Crab!

Summer fishing seasons are now in full swing, requiring anglers to make some tough decisions about how to spend their time on the water. Salmon, steelhead, crab, as well as trout, bass and walleye – all are now available for harvest in various waters around the state.

But for thousands of anglers, nothing beats the thrill of reeling in a big, feisty salmon. Many are doing just that as waves of chinook move south along the Washington coast, then east into Puget Sound, coastal streams and the Columbia River.

“With strong salmon runs predicted for the Columbia River this year, ocean fishing is likely to remain productive through the summer,” said Wendy Beeghley, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fisheries biologist for the coastal region.

Several marine areas of Puget Sound open to salmon fishing July 1, joining other salmon fisheries already in progress. Some westside rivers, including the Bogacheil, Calawah and Nisqually, also open for salmon fishing that day, and Baker Lake in Whatcom County opens for sockeye salmon July 10.

Summer steelhead are another option – notably in the Columbia River and many of its tributaries – where 281,000 adult fish are expected to move upriver in the coming weeks. As always, anglers are required to release any wild, unmarked steelhead they intercept in the fishery, which extends from the mouth of the Columbia to the Canadian Border.

Fishing regulations for these and other fisheries are described in WDFW’s Fishing in Washington rule pamphlet, available from sporting goods stores and posted online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/ .

Rather catch some crab? All but one marine area in Puget Sound will be open for crab fishing beginning July 3. The exception is Marine Area 7, where the crab fishery opens July 17 in the area’s southern portion (San Juan Islands/Bellingham) and Aug. 15 in the northern portion (Gulf of Georgia). See http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/ for all crab-fishing rules.

Meanwhile, WDFW land managers are urging everyone planning to spend time outdoors this month to take precautions to avoid sparking a wildfire. Unattended campfires, fireworks, hot vehicle mufflers, careless disposal of cigarettes and outdoor burning are all common causes of wildfires in the state.

Fireworks are prohibited at all 32 WDFW wildlife areas and 700 water access sites around the state. The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has also issued a summer burn ban that prohibits campfires in most WDFW forested areas

Wishkah River

Location:
Flows into the east end of Grays Harbor at Aberdeen.

Directions:
Take U.S.12 to Aberdeen and turn right on Wishkah Road which parallels the river.

Facilities:
Aberdeen has all you amenitites.

Contact:
Big Mouth John’s Tackle

Species:
Winter Steelhead, Coho and Chinook Salmon, Resident and Sea-Run Cutthroat Trout, and Seaperch

Fishing the Wishkah:
Though only one valley away from the Hoquiam, the Wishkah is a much better salmon and steelhead river, thanks to its better fish habitat and access to the water. Though your chances of hooking a keeper chinook aren’t all that great, work your way up Wishkah Road to the mouth of the West Fork Wishkah during October and November and you just might locate a Coho or two.
The winter steelheading is up and down from year to year, but some season the Wishkah will give up 150-200 fish. The best part of fishing the river is that the steelhead fishing remains pretty consistent from December until the end of the season in March.
Sea-Run Cutthroat is fair in the river in the month of October. Like the nearby Hoquiam, the regulations call for the release of all wild non-clipped Cutthroats.

Grays River

Location:
Enters the Lower Columbia River west of Skamokawa.

Directions:
Take Highway 4 west from Cathlamet or east from Naselle. To reach much of the middle portion of the river, take Loop Road south off the highway (midway between the town of Grays River, and the highway bridge over the river), or turn south on Highway 403 near Rosburg to reach the lower river.

Facilities:
Illwaco, the nearest town of any size, is about 20 miles to the southeast and offers all your amenities. About 30 miles to the west is Fort Canby State Park, which has tent and RV sites, restrooms with showers, and a small store.

Contact:

Species:
Winter Steelhead, Sea-Run Cutthroat, Resident Cutthroat, Chinook, and Coho Salmon.

Fishing the Grays River:
Once a pretty well respected winter steelhead stream, the Gray’s has slipped a few notches over the years. Although stocked with 40,000 to 50,000 steelhead smolts a year, the steelhead catch bumps up and down every year from 150-400 fish a winter. That’s probably a ray of hope for the visiting angler. When the few steelhead that return from their ocean adventures usually occurs in the months of December and January. Fall salmon fishing is a whole lot worse and is only open in certain areas. There can be some excellent cutthroat fishing in the months of October and November. I would stick with fishing a nightcrawler behind a slip sinker with a minimum of a 48″ leader.

Tokul Creek to open early for hatchery steelhead and other gamefish

• Action: Open Tokul Creek for trout and other gamefish.
• Effective date: 7:00 a.m, Jan. 9 through 5:00 p.m. Feb. 15, 2014.
• Species affected: Trout, hatchery steelhead and other game fish.

Location: Tokul Creek from the Fish Hatchery Road Bridge upstream to the posted cable boundary marker below the hatchery intake.

Reasons for action: This section of Tokul Creek is closed in the permanent regulations until Jan.15 to allow for winter steelhead broodstock collection at the Tokul Creek Hatchery. The Tokul Creek Hatchery facility has now met its egg take goals for winter steelhead allowing for expanded fishing opportunity in Tokul Creek.

Other information: Tokul Creek remains open from the mouth to the downstream edge of the Fish Hatchery Road bridge, as listed in the fishing rules pamphlet. Tokul Creek is closed to fishing daily from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Anti-snagging rules are in effect. All sections of Tokul Creek will close Feb. 16, 2014 to protect wild steelhead.

Fishing for Steelhead to close Dec. 8 on three rivers in the Upper Columbia Basin

OLYMPIA – Steelhead fisheries will close one hour after sunset on Dec. 8 on the upper Columbia River from Rock Island Dam to Wells Dam and on the Wenatchee and Icicle rivers.

Fishing for whitefish will also close on the Wenatchee River one hour after sunset on Dec. 8.

The closures will not, however, affect steelhead and whitefish fishing seasons on the Okanogan River, Similkameen River, Methow River, and mainstem Columbia River from Wells Dam upstream to Chief Joseph Dam. Those fisheries will remain open until further notice under previously published rules.

Jeff Korth, regional fish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), said the closures are necessary to keep impacts on wild steelhead within limits established under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).

“This year’s run is smaller than in recent years and contains a relatively high proportion of wild steelhead,” Korth said. “Because of that, we saw an increase in the rate of encounters with natural-origin fish in some fishing areas.”

Although anglers must release any wild, unmarked steelhead they intercept in area fisheries, some of those fish do not survive and are counted toward ESA impact limits.

The federal permit authorizing the steelhead fisheries sets a maximum allowable mortality of natural-origin steelhead to accommodate variations in run strength and angling effort on specific waters. WDFW closely monitors the fisheries and enforces fishing rules to protect wild steelhead.

The primary reason the upper Columbia steelhead fisheries are permitted is to remove excess hatchery fish from spawning grounds, said Korth, noting that those fisheries provide popular recreational fishing opportunities and economic benefits for rural communities throughout the region.

WDFW fisheries managers are analyzing fishery impacts to date, and will produce a steelhead run update next month, Korth said. Some areas could be reopened at a later date for additional fishing opportunities, and anglers should keep a close eye on the WDFW website for these possibilities.

Specific waters that will close to fishing for steelhead an hour after sunset Dec.8 include:

Mainstem Columbia River: From Rock Island Dam upstream to 400 feet below Wells Dam.
Wenatchee River: From the mouth upstream to the Icicle River Road Bridge.
Icicle River: From the mouth upstream to 500 feet below the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Barrier Dam.
Areas closing to whitefish angling an hour after sunset Dec. 8 include:

Wenatchee River: From the mouth upstream to the Icicle River Road Bridge.
Areas that remain open to fishing for hatchery steelhead include:

Mainstem Columbia River: From Wells Dam upstream to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam.
Methow River: From the mouth upstream to the confluence with the Chewuch River in Winthrop.
Okanogan River: From the mouth upstream to the Highway 97 Bridge in Oroville.
Similkameen River: From the mouth upstream to 400 feet below Enloe Dam.
When these fisheries are open, anglers must retain any legal hatchery steelhead, which can be identified by a clipped adipose fin, they catch until they reach their daily limit of two fish. Once anglers have retained two fish, they must stop fishing for steelhead.

2013 Clearwater River Steelhead Derby 11/23 to 11/30

World’s largest steelhead derby don’t miss it! Click on the image below for more information.

Okanogan River

Species:
Steelhead, Fall Salmon, and Smallmouth Bass
Location:
Joins the Columbia River just east of the town of Brewster
Directions:
Take U.S.97 east or Highway 17 north of the confluence of the Okanogan and Columbia Rivers, and continue north on U.S. 97 to follow the Okanogan River upstream
Facilities:
There are plenty of motels and RV parks along the river, including Okanogan, Omak, Tonasket, and Oroville. Restaurants, groceries stores, gas stations, tackle shops are also available in all four of the towns. Osoyoos Lake State Park in Oroville, at the upper end of the Okanogan River also is a nice place to stay with all your amenities.
Here is a link to all of your North Central Wahington Parks;
http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/region/?selectedregion=northcentral
Rules and Regulations:
Always watch WDFG fishing updates on this river shed as rule changes happen quite frequently
How to fish the Okanogan River:
With the possible exception of the much larger Snake River, the Okanogan offers the best stream smallmouth fishing in Washington. The okanogan has been a favorite destination of smallmouth enthusiasts since the early 1970’s, and it’s just as good now as it was then, perhaps better. Although not something you’ll hook every day, the river has Bronzebacks of five pounds and over, and while your looking for them, you’ll hook and release many number of smaller ones. What’s more, U.S.97 and the side roads off of it will provide miles of good river access for bank anglers. The season is usually open year around, but the best bass action occurs as the water begins to warm substantially, usually around the end of June, and holds up well into September. Leadhead-and-grub combinations, small crankbaits, size 1 or size 0 bucktail spinners, even wet flies and streamers will take them. If you don’t have any smallmouth tackle, invest in a few one-eighths to three-eighths ounce leadheads and a dozen three-inch Berkley Power Grubs in the pumpkinseed color. If that doesn’t take smallmouth, you’re probably fishing where the bass aren’t.

Steelheading on the Okanogan has been an up-and-down proposition for many years, but it’s usually on the up enough to make the trip worth while. The lowest count in the last 20 years was in 1993-94 with only 175 fish taken from the river, but many season top the 500 fish mark according to WDF&G. If you have to pick just one month of the year to fish for steelhead on the Okanogan, make it October. That single month typically produces half of the catch for the entire year. September, November, and March may also provide some pretty good steelhead fishing. Spoons, spinners, diving plugs, fresh roe clusters, ghost shrimp, and most of the popular steelhead bobbers all account for their share of fish. If you are looking for a guided fishing trip anywhere in this area you should get a hold of “Hall of Famer” and legendary fishing guide Phil Lund at: http://methowriverguide.com/home

Moclips River

Species:
Sea-Run Cutthroat and Winter Steelhead
Location:
Flows into the Pacific Ocean at Moclips
Directions:
Take Highway 109 west out of Hoquiam and follow it up the coast 30 miles to Moclips and the mouth of the river. The only road leading east out of town parallels the south side of the river.
Facilities:
The nearest place to find all of your amenities is Ocean Shores, 17 miles to the south, but Moclips has lodging, RV parks, groceries, gas and tackle.
Rules and Regulations:
See your Washington State fishing handbook for further updated rules and regulations.
Fishing the Moclips River:
Although this coastal stream is open during the winter months to allow for a steelhead season, the winter fishery doesn’t really amount to anything. In fact there where years in the 90’s that Fish and Game recorded no winter steelhead catches. For most people the Moclips River is to far away and the steelheading is too poor for the drive. Now on the other hand the fall fishing for Sea-Run Cutthroat can be a worthwhile endeavor. Like many other streams around the Gray’s Harbor area, the best cutthroat fishing occurs within 24 hours of the end of a heavy rain that causes a good rise in water levels. Roll a nightcrawler or a small cluster of salmon roe along the bottom to catch them and preferably on an incoming tide.