OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildllife on Thursday set early closure dates for western and coastal rivers, including rivers in Jefferson County.
The WDFW also maintained selective gear rules with only one single-point barbless hook allowed. It also requires release of wild rainbow trout in areas that are open. The effective date is Thursday and affects all species.
Rules and locations in Jefferson County include:
• Clearwater River (Jefferson County), from the mouth to the Snahapish River:
Jan. 2-Feb. 28: Selective gear rules in effect for all species, except only one single-point barbless hook is allowed. All wild rainbow trout must be released. Until further notice, waters are closed March 1.
• Upper Quinault River (Grays Harbor/Jefferson County), from the mouth at upper end of Quinault Lake upstream to Olympic National Park boundary:
Jan. 2-March 31: Selective gear rules in effect for all species, except only one single-point barbless hook is allowed. All wild rainbow trout must be released. Until further notice, waters are closed April 1.
• Queets River (Grays Harbor/Jefferson County) within Olympic National Park:
The National Park Service sets these regulations, which can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ONPregs.
• Salmon River (Jefferson County):
Jan. 2-Feb. 28: Selective gear rules in effect for all species, except only one single-point barbless hook is allowed. All wild rainbow trout must be released.
A number of rivers and streams in Grays Harbor County are also affected. For a full list of rivers included, people can go to the WDFW website at https://tinyurl.com/WDFWfishingregs.
