Field Reports: Salmon fishing closes on Upper Columbia
Summer chinook salmon fishing closed Saturday on a portion of the upper Columbia River.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this week that the harvest allocation for chinook salmon on the upper Columbia would be met by Friday, prompting the Saturday closure.
The season had been open between Rocky Reach and Wells dams four days a week since July 16, meaning anglers got about 11 days to target summer chinook.
It means fishing for summer salmon species is over for the year on the upper Columbia. With the closure of the chinook season, salmon fishing also closed on the Entiat River.
A sockeye fishing season remains open on Lake Wenatchee.
National parks free on Monday
Visitors won’t be charged entrance fees at the country’s national parks on Monday.
The National Park Service announced Friday that it would waive entrance fees on Monday in celebration of the Great American Outdoors Act, a sweeping piece of outdoor legislation that was signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2020.
The law funded more than $6.6 billion in maintenance and repair projects across a wide variety of sites managed by the National Park Service.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reminds new hunters to complete hunter’s education
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is urging new hunters to remember to take hunter’s education before hunting seasons begin this fall.
WDFW sent a news release on Friday with the reminder. All hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972, are required to have completed a hunter education course before buying a hunting license.
WDFW offers in-person and hybrid courses that combine online and in-person learning.
In-person courses consist of about 15 hours of instruction and include a field portion.
Information about the courses is available online at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/requirements/education/basic.
A once-in-a-lifetime hunter education deferral is available to hunters who are 10 years old or older who want to try hunting with a licensed hunter before taking the course.
Those who want the deferral must fill out an application. The application can be found at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/requirements/education/deferral-program.