Steelhead Runs Closed To Allow Rejuvenation

Alarmed by low returns of steelhead to hatcheries, state fish managers ordered emergency closures on some steelhead fishing, beginning Monday.

The regulation, announced Wednesday by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, also requires the release of all wild steelhead caught in state waters until further notice.

Rivers and streams in the vicinity of the key steelhead hatcheries will be closed to allow a maximum return of steelhead broodstock, the agency said.

The closures affect parts of the Green, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, Stillaguamish (north fork), Skagit, Cascade, Bogachiel, Naselle and Willapa rivers.

Tokul Creek also will be closed to fishing.

The catch-and-release requirement for all steelhead was recommended by state biologists because hatchery returns often are indicative of wild steelhead abundance.