WDFW News Release: Chehalis River and tributaries closing due to projected low s

[Pacific NW Ron]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

February 14, 2020
Contact: Mike Scharpf, 360-249-1205

Chehalis River and tributaries closing due to projected low steelhead returns

OLYMPIA – The Chehalis River and its tributaries will close to all fishing at midnight Sunday, Feb. 16, due to low projected steelhead returns, fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced.

With only 6,616 Chehalis basin steelhead projected to return this year, returns of wild Chehalis steelhead are forecast to come in well below the escapement goal of 8,600 fish for the fourth year in a row, said Mike Scharpf, district fisheries biologist with WDFW.

Given this recent history, the closure represents a conservative approach to ensure conservation goals can be met, Scharpf said.

“There are many factors affecting steelhead in the Chehalis,” said Scharpf. “Given that steelhead populations are returning in low numbers statewide this year, poor ocean conditions are likely one of those factors.”

The closure includes the Chehalis River and all tributaries, including but not limited to Elk, Johns, Hoquiam, Newaukum, Satsop, Skookumchuck, Wishkah, and Wynoochee rivers.

[Lipripper]

Sad to see the decrease in the steelhead population. Hope they improve.

[Pacific NW Ron]

Sad to see the decrease in the steelhead population. Hope they improve.

Yes it is sad.  I love fishing for them and they are fun to catch.  Size and numbers have been on a steady decline for probably 30 years. 

[Lipripper]

Yes it is sad.  I love fishing for them and they are fun to catch.  Size and numbers have been on a steady decline for probably 30 years.

I remember when I was up in the Longview/ Kelso area over 40 years ago seeing all them swimming up the streams so thick you could walk across them.

[Pacific NW Ron]

Yeah, back in the 70's and  80's when I was guiding I could guarantee my clients a steelhead.  No guide that I know of today does that anymore.  Some smaller rivers and streams that used to be full of them like you describe now don't have any fish in them at all anymore.  It's a sad situation.

[Lipripper]

Yeah, back in the 70's and  80's when I was guiding I could guarantee my clients a steelhead.  No guide that I know of today does that anymore.  Some smaller rivers and streams that used to be full of them like you describe now don't have any fish in them at all anymore.  It's a sad situation.

Yes it is very sad. They put up a nice fight. Here's one I caught years ago in the St Joes river up in Michigan.