OLYMPIA – Razor clam diggers can return to various ocean beaches for a three-day opening beginning Friday, Feb. 1. State shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the dig on evening low tides after marine toxin tests showed the clams are safe to eat. No digging will be allowed …

  OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has signaled its support for state fishery managers’ plans to consider the dietary needs of endangered orcas when they set this year’s salmon-fishing seasons. The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), directed …

  OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is proposing a 15-percent boost in recreational hunting and fishing license fees for 2019, with caps on the increase for people who buy multiple licenses in “bundled” packages. The commission, a citizen board appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish …

  WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE Action:  The Snake River will open for harvest of fall chinook: Daily limit 6. Release all salmon other than adult hatchery chinook and jack chinook. Salmon minimum length 12 inches. Washington licensed anglers must cease fishing for salmon and steelhead once their adult daily limit for either steelhead or salmon has …

WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE   Action: Close Marine Areas 1 and 4 to salmon fishing beginning Monday, Aug. 13. Effective date: Aug. 13, 2018. Species affected: Salmon. Location: Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) and Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay). Reason for action: Estimates indicate that anglers will reach quotas for coho salmon in areas 1 and 4. Closing the salmon fisheries …

  Starting July 1st, anglers can catch and keep sockeye salmon on the Columbia River, but will be required to release any chinook salmon they intercept downriver from Bonneville Dam. Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon today agreed to modify fishing rules in joint waters of the Columbia, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife …

  OLYMPIA – Citing the risk of fish disease transmission, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has denied permission for Cooke Aquaculture to transport 800,000 juvenile Atlantic salmon from its hatchery near Rochester to net pens at Rich Passage in Kitsap County. In late April, Cooke applied for permission to move juvenile non-native salmon …

  OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking public comment on its recommendations for the management of “riparian ecosystems” along the banks of rivers and streams throughout the state. Terra Rentz, the department’s ecosystem services manager, said WDFW will accept written comments through mid-July on the recommendations contained in Riparian Ecosystems, …

  OLYMPIA – Anglers fishing for halibut in Washington waters will see a similar season structure as compared to 2017 when fishing gets underway in May. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) establishes halibut seasons using catch quotas adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission for coastal fisheries from California to Alaska. Washington …