FISHING -- Steelhead fishing will close on Monday, March 31, on the Columbia River and tributaries above Rock Island Dam, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department has announced.

Most steelhead will be spawning beginning in April, the agency said in a release, and the closure is governed by federal endangered species agreements. The closure officially begins one hour after sunset on March 31.

Areas closed to steelhead fishing include:

• Mainstem Columbia River:  From Rock Island Dam to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam.
• Wenatchee River:  From the mouth to 400 feet below Tumwater Dam, including the Icicle River from the mouth to 500 feet downstream of the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery Barrier Dam.
• Methow River:  From the mouth to the confluence with the Chewuch River in Winthrop.
• Okanogan River:  From the mouth to the Highway 97 Bridge in Oroville.
• Similkameen River:  From the mouth to 400 feet below Enloe Dam.