Catch up on changes to fishing rules
On May 1 – six days after the opening of Washington’s general trout season – the state’s 2008-2009 fishing rules go into effect.
Following are some of the notable changes affecting anglers in this region.
Statewide
Bass limits were standardized statewide with specific rules for both smallmouth and largemouth.
“Largemouth: No minimum size. Only bass less than 12 inches may be retained, except one longer than 17 inches may be retained. Daily limit five.
“Smallmouth: No minimum size. Only one longer than 14 inches may be retained. Daily limit 10.
Exception areas: Columbia River from McNary Dam downstream to mouth, and the catch-and-release waters of Stan Coffin Lake.
Note: Bass may be caught, retained and released alive from a livewell until a daily limit is in possession.
Second record card for hatchery steelhead: Anglers will be allowed to catch more than the current annual limit of 30 hatchery steelhead by purchasing additional cards.
Fishing tournament rules were modified to:
“Protect wild steelhead.
“Require tiger muskies to be released.
“Bolster requirements to prevent tournament boats from spreading invasive species.
Tiger musky minimum size limit: 50 inches, with a daily limit of one fish.
Sturgeon fork length measurement: See regulations for a detailed explanation of new measurement guidelines to coordinate with Oregon rules for meeting length requirements.
Eastern Region
Spokane River redband trout spawning protection efforts change the current year-round season to June 1-March 15 on the Spokane River from Plese Flats day-use area upstream to Monroe Street Dam.
Grande Ronde and Walla Walla River channel catfish limits change from five a day to no daily limit.
Tucannon, Touchet, Mill Creek and Walla Walla river stream segments will close to fishing from April 15 to March 31 to protect spawning steelhead. See regulations for specific sections.
Wenaha River tributaries become “selective fisheries.” All steelhead must be released.
Pampa Pond in Whitman County and Dalton Lake in Franklin County limits change to five fish a day, only two trout over 13 inches.
Liberty Lake and Medical Lake, among several other Spokane County waters changed to open March 1, also had their ending date extended to Oct. 31.
Long Lake (Lake Spokane) bass season is extended to run year-round, with separate statewide smallmouth and largemouth limits (see above).
Roosevelt Lake-Columbia River will have a spring fishing closure from the Little Dalles power line crossing upstream approximately 1 mile to amarked rock point and from Northport power line crossing upstream to the upstream point of Steamboat Rock. The closure runs March 1 through the Friday before Memorial Day to protect spawning redband rainbows.
Sprague Lake will have a five-fish daily limit for trout, no more than two over 20 inches long. Although warmwater fisheries are still being established, the daily limit for crappie and/or bluegills will be 25, with a 9-inch minimum size for crappie.
Williams, Hatch, and Ellen lake anglers will be unlawful if they possess any fish species other than rainbow trout while fishing these northeastern Washington lakes. The new law seeks to stop the illegal releases of fish species that have devastated the trout fisheries.
Northcentral Region
Banks Lake daily limit for crappie: 10, with a minimum size of 9 inches.