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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Rare Sockeye Season On Lake Washington

Associated Press

A three-day sport sockeye salmon fishery will open Saturday on south Lake Washington, the first since 1988, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday.

The fishery is due to a large return of sockeye, estimated to be at least 100,000 fish more than the 350,000 that will be allowed to spawn.

“I am pleased we are able to schedule this very popular sockeye fishery this year,” said department director Bern Shanks.

“Unfortunately, there is bad news to report too. This is a bonus year. There hasn’t been a sockeye season since 1988 and there won’t be another Lake Washington sockeye fishing season for at least four years because far too few fish have spawned in the system.”

The season will open an hour before sunrise each of the three days, and close an hour after sunset each day. Anglers are limited to one fish per day and fishing is limited to south of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge.

Since treaty Indian tribes are entitled to one-half the catch, sports fishers will be entitled to 50,000 sockeye.

Shanks said the number of fish taken over the three days would be calculated after the three-day season, with the possibility the season could be extended.

Sockeye will remain in the lake through mid-September and Shanks said he wanted the season to run as long as possible.