Drought conditions prompt fishing closures and restrictions

State fishery managers are closing or restricting fishing on more than 30 rivers throughout Washington to help protect fish in areas where drought conditions have reduced flows and increased water temperatures.

The closures and restrictions took effect Saturday (July 18) at 12:01 a.m. The changes will remain in effect until further notice.

Fishing will be closed in some waters, and limited in others each day to the hours between midnight and 2 p.m. These “hoot-owl” restrictions will go into effect on rivers where fishery managers want to reduce stress on fish during the hottest time of day.

High water temperatures can be deadly for fish, such as trout, while diminished stream flows can strand migrating salmon and steelhead, said Craig Burley, fish program manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

“With such extreme drought conditions in several areas of the state, we needed to take these steps to help protect vulnerable fish in waters where we have concerns,” Burley said. “We’ll continue monitoring stream conditions throughout Washington this summer and take additional actions if necessary.”

Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon agreed to the sturgeon-fishing moratorium in shared waters of the Columbia River above Bonneville Dam.

Guy Norman, WDFW southwest regional director, said department staff has observed more than 80 dead and dying sturgeon on the riverbanks upriver from Bonneville Dam in the past two weeks. Most were large fish, over five feet long, he said.

“Sturgeon are clearly under a lot of stress due to current drought conditions right now,” Norman said. “We can’t improve the water conditions, but we can remove fishing pressure on these fish.”

Water temperatures above Bonneville Dam have averaged 73 degrees over the past two weeks, compared to an average of 64 degrees during the same period over the past five years, Norman said. Current outflow at the dam is about half the average level, he said.

The moratorium on sturgeon fishing is the latest emergency action aimed at reducing stress on the region’s fish populations, which are experiencing unprecedented challenges due to high water temperatures and related factors.

In recent weeks, WDFW has curtailed fishing on a section of the Sol Duc River to protect returning chinook and closed fishing for spring chinook on the Grande Ronde River due to low river flows.

“The drought is causing real problems for fish throughout the state,” said Burley. “We expect to announce further restrictions on state fisheries within the next few days.”

For details on the closures and restrictions, check the emergency regulations, which are posted on WDFW’s webpage at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/.

Fishing closures and restrictions in Region 5 - Southwest Washington include:

Closed to fishing:

East Fork Lewis River from Lewisville Park downstream.

Washougal River from Mt. Norway Bridge downstream.

Hoot-owl restrictions:

East Fork Lewis River from Lewisville Park upstream.

Washougal River from Mt. Norway Bridge upstream.

For more information about drought’s impact on fish and wildlife, visit WDFW’s drought webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/drought/.