Washington Administrative Code
Title 220 - Fish and Wildlife, Department of
FISH
Chapter 220-354 - Commercial fisheries-Salmon
Section 220-354-250 - Willapa Bay salmon fall fishery
Current through Register Vol. 24-06, March 15, 2024
From August 16 through December 31 of each year, it is unlawful to fish for salmon in Willapa Bay for commercial purposes or to possess salmon taken from those waters for commercial purposes, except that:
Fishing periods:
(1) Gillnet gear may be used to fish for coho salmon, chum salmon, and Chinook salmon for the dates listed in the table below:
Area |
Time |
Date(s) |
Maximum Mesh Size |
2N |
6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. |
8/20 |
4.25" |
2M, 2R |
6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. |
8/25 |
4.25" |
2N |
6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. |
8/27 |
4.25" |
2M, 2R |
6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. |
8/31 |
4.25" |
2N, 2R |
6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. |
9/10, 9/13 |
4.25" |
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T, 2U |
6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. |
9/16 |
4.25" |
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
9/17 |
4.25" |
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
9/18 |
4.25" |
2N, 2M, 2R, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
9/19, 9/20 |
4.25" |
2N, 2M, 2T, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
9/21, 9/22 |
4.25" |
2M |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
9/23 |
4.25" |
2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
9/24, 9/25, 9/26, 9/27, 9/28 |
4.25" |
2N, 2M, 2R |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
9/24 |
6.5" |
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
9/25, 9/26, 9/27, 9/28, 9/29 |
6.5" |
2M |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
9/30 |
6.5" |
2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
10/1, 10/2, 10/3, 10/4, 10/5, 10/6 |
4.25" |
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
10/1, 10/2, 10/3 |
6.5" |
2N, 2M, 2R |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
10/4 |
6.5" |
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
10/5, 10/6 |
6.5" |
2M, 2T |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
10/7 |
6.5" |
2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
10/9, 10/10, 10/11, 10/12, 10/13 |
4.25" |
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
10/9, 10/10, 10/11, 10/12, 10/13 |
6.5" |
2N, 2R, 2T, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
11/2 |
6.5" |
2N, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
11/3 |
6.5" |
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
11/6 |
6.5" |
2N, 2T, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
11/9 |
6.5" |
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
11/13 |
6.5" |
2T, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
11/16 |
6.5" |
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
11/20 |
6.5" |
2T, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
11/21 |
6.5" |
2M, 2T, 2U |
7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. |
11/27 |
6.5" |
Gear:
(2) Gillnet gear restrictions - All areas:
Other:
(3) Recovery boxes and soak time limits described in this section are required from 12:01 a.m. August 20 through 11:59 p.m. November 27, 2023:
(4) Quick reporting is required for wholesale dealers and fishers retailing their catch under a "limited fish seller endorsement." According to WAC 220-352-320, reports must be submitted by 10:00 a.m. on the day after the purchase date, unless otherwise specified in a voluntary electronic fish receiving ticket reporting agreement (see WAC 220-352-035(3)).
(5) Retention prohibitions:
(6) Report all encounters of green sturgeon, white sturgeon, and steelhead, (your name, date of encounter, and number of species encountered) to the quick reporting office via phone at #866-791-1280, fax at #360-249-1229, or email at harborfishtickets@dfw.wa.gov. Fishers may have wholesale dealers use the "buyer only" portion of the fish ticket and have encounters included with each day's quick reporting.
(7) Do not remove tags from white sturgeon. Please obtain available information from tags without removing tags. Submit tag information to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 48 Devonshire Rd., Montesano, WA 98563.
(8) Those waters of Area 2T, north of a line from Toke Point channel marker 3 easterly through Willapa Harbor channel marker 13 (green), then northeasterly to the power transmission pole located at 46°43.1907'N, 123°50.83134'W are CLOSED from 12:01 a.m. September 16, 2023, through 11:59 p.m., September 30, 2023.
(9) It is unlawful to fish with gillnet gear in Areas 2M, 2N, 2R, 2T, and 2U unless the vessel operator has attended a "Fish Friendly" best fishing practices workshop and has in their possession while fishing a department-issued certification card.
(10) Fishers must take department observers, if requested by department staff, when participating in these openings. Fishers also must provide notice of intent to participate by contacting quick reporting by phone, fax, or email, listed in subsection (6) of this section. Notice of intent must be given prior to 5:00 p.m. on August 11, 2023.
Reviser's note: The bracketed material preceding the section above was supplied by the code reviser's office.
Reviser's note: RCW 34.05.395 requires the use of underlining and deletion marks to indicate amendments to existing rules. The rule published above varies from its predecessor in certain respects not indicated by the use of these markings.
Reviser's note: The unnecessary underscoring in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appears in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.