OLYMPIA – Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fishery managers this week announced regulations for the state’s 2024-25 coastal steelhead season.

Most major steelhead fishing areas are scheduled to be open from Dec. 2 through March 31. Notable exceptions include:

• Queets River within Olympic National Park (upstream of Clearwater Road bridge/Quinault Indian Nation boundary) will close Dec. 16. 

• Humptulips River upstream of Highway 101 including all forks will close Jan. 2. Humptulips River (mouth to Highway 101 bridge) will close Feb. 3.  

• Willapa River section from mouth (City of South Bend boat launch) to the WDFW access site at the mouth of Ward/Wilson creeks will close Feb. 1.  

• Clearwater River (Quinault Indian Nation boundary to Snahapish River) and Salmon River (mouth to Quinault Indian Nation boundary) will close March 1. 

• Chehalis River (mouth to confluence with Skookumchuck River), Wynoochee River (mouth to 7400 Road bridge), Satsop River (mouth to Schafer State Park bridge on East Fork Satsop), and Skookumchuck River will close March 1. All other Grays Harbor and Chehalis Basin tributaries will close Jan. 2.

See below for a summary of additional regulations, closure dates, and areas.

Emergency fishing rule changes will be published Dec. 2 as well as available on the Fish Washington© mobile app. Areas not listed in the emergency fishing rule changes will remain as described in the 2024-25 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet.

“It’s great to see increased wild steelhead forecasts for most coastal rivers, although we still have work to do to rebuild these runs for current and future generations,” said WDFW Fish Program Director Kelly Cunningham. “Our balanced approach this season includes earlier closures than initially proposed while providing meaningful fishing opportunities.”

Summary of regulations

Selective gear rules (no bait) and a single-point barbless hook are required this season for coastal steelhead rivers including those in Willapa Bay, Grays Harbor, and along the mid- and northern coasts. The daily bag limit for all rivers and streams is two hatchery steelhead, and anglers must release wild steelhead and rainbow trout. Anglers may not remove wild steelhead fully from the water prior to release.

Additional emergency fishing rule changes could occur throughout the season. Fisheries in April are currently unlikely but are contingent on in-season updates and discussions with co-managers.

The areas listed below are open Dec. 2, 2024 through March 31, 2025 unless noted otherwise.

North coast rivers and tributaries  

• Big River (Clallam Co.). Does not open for fishing until Jan. 1. Closes March 1. 

• Bogachiel River (Clallam Co.). Fishing from a floating device is prohibited upstream of the mouth of Mill Creek (located approximately ¾ mi. above the Bogachiel Hatchery). See vessel fishing boundaries. 

• Calawah River (Clallam Co.). Fishing from a floating device is prohibited upstream of the Highway 101 Bridge. See vessel fishing boundaries. 

• Calawah River, South Fork (Clallam Co.). Fishing from a floating device is prohibited. 

• Cedar Creek (Jefferson Co.). Closes March 1. 

• Dickey River, including East and West forks (Clallam Co.). Fishing from a floating device is prohibited. 

• Goodman Creek (Jefferson Co.). Closes March 1. 

• Hoh River (Jefferson Co.). Fishing from a floating device is prohibited upstream of the boat launch at Morgans Crossing. 

• Hoh River, South Fork (Jefferson Co.). Fishing from a floating device is prohibited. 

• Kalaloch Creek (Jefferson Co.). Closes March 1. 

• Mosquito Creek (Jefferson Co.). Closes March 1. 

• Quillayute River (Clallam Co.). 

• Sol Duc River (Clallam Co.). Fishing from a floating device prohibited upstream of the concrete pump station at the Sol Duc Hatchery.   

• Sooes River (Tsoo-Yess River. Clallam Co.). Upstream of Makah Reservation boundary closes March 1. See Makah Tribe fishing regulations and permit requirements for fishing on Makah Reservation. 

• Thunder Creek (Clallam Co.). Closes March 1.

Central coast and Grays Harbor tributaries 

• Black River (Grays Harbor Co.). Open only for salmon. Closes Jan. 1. 

• Chehalis River and all forks (Grays Harbor Co.). Closes March 1. 

• Clearwater River (Jefferson Co.). Close March 1. 

• Cloquallum Creek (Grays Harbor/Mason Co.). Closes Jan. 2. 

• Copalis River (Grays Harbor Co.). Closes March 1. 

• Elk Creek (Lewis/Pacific Co.). Closes Jan. 2. 

• Elk River (Grays Harbor Co.). Closes Jan. 2. 

• Hoquiam River including West and East forks (Grays Harbor Co.). Closes Jan. 2. 

• Humptulips River (Grays Harbor Co.). Upstream of Highway 101 closes Jan. 2. Mouth to Highway 101 closes Feb. 3. 

• Joe Creek (Grays Harbor Co.). Closes Jan. 1. 

• Johns River (Grays Harbor Co.). Closes Jan. 2. 

• Moclips River (Grays Harbor Co.). Closes March 1.

• Newaukum River, including all forks (Lewis Co.). Closes Jan. 2. 

• Queets River (Jefferson Co.). Closes Dec. 16. Please review Olympic National Park fishing regulations for additional details. 

• Quinault River, Upper (Grays Harbor/Jefferson Co.). From mouth at Lake Quinault to North Shore Road bridge) closes March 31. 

• Salmon River (Jefferson Co.). Closes March 1. 

• Satsop River (Grays Harbor Co.) Mouth to Schafer State Park bridge on East Fork closes March 1. Middle Fork and West Fork close Jan. 2.

• Skookumchuck River (Lewis/Thurston Co.) Closes March 1. 

• Stevens Creek (Grays Harbor Co.). Closes Jan. 2. 

• Van Winkle Creek (Grays Harbor Co.). Closes Jan. 2. 

• Wishkah River (Grays Harbor Co.). Closes Jan. 2. 

• Wynoochee River (Grays Harbor Co.) Closes March 1.

Willapa Bay tributaries 

• Bear River (Pacific Co.).  

• Naselle River (Pacific Co.).  

• Naselle River, South (Pacific Co.). From mouth to Bean Creek, game fish seasons are open with statewide minimum size and daily limits, except Cutthroat trout minimum size 14 inches and release wild rainbow trout, effective Dec. 2 through March 31. 

• Nemah River, Middle (Pacific Co.). 

• Nemah River, North (Pacific Co.). 

• Nemah River, South (Pacific Co.). 

• North River (Grays Harbor/Pacific Co.). From the Hwy. 105 bridge to Raimie Creek, game fish seasons are open with statewide minimum size and daily limits, except Cutthroat trout minimum size 14 inches and release wild rainbow trout, effective Dec, 2 through March 31.  

• Palix River (Pacific Co.). From the Middle Fork upstream (all forks including South Fork Palix River and Canon River), game fish seasons are open with statewide minimum size and daily limits, except Cutthroat trout minimum size 14 inches and release wild rainbow trout, effective Dec. 2 through March 31. 

• Salmon Creek (Pacific/Wahkiakum Co.). Game fish seasons are open with statewide minimum size and daily limits, except Cutthroat trout minimum size 14 inches and release wild rainbow trout, effective Dec. 2 through March 31. 

• Smith Creek (near North River) (Pacific Co.). Game fish seasons are open with statewide minimum size and daily limits, except Cutthroat trout minimum size 14 inches and release wild rainbow trout, effective Dec. 2 through March 31. 

• Willapa River (Pacific Co.). Section from mouth (City of South Bend boat launch) to the WDFW access site at the mouth of Ward/Wilson creeks closes Feb. 1. 

• Willapa River, South Fork (Pacific Co.). Game fish seasons are open with statewide minimum size and daily limits, except Cutthroat trout minimum size 14 inches and release wild rainbow trout, effective Dec. 2 through March 31.

Anglers will be able to fish from a floating device on the lower and middle sections of the Hoh River below the boat launch at Morgans Crossing. The 2023-2024 season marked the first time since 2020 that boat fishing was allowed on certain days. Upper sections of the Hoh River have been closed to fishing from a floating device since 2016. The South Fork of the Hoh River will also be closed to fishing from a floating device.

Fishing from a floating device will be allowed on the Quillayute River, Bogachiel River below the mouth of Mill Creek (above the hatchery), Calawah River below the Highway 101 bridge, and Sol Duc River below the concrete pump station at the hatchery. It is prohibited (boats allowed for transportation only) on other sections of these rivers and on the Dickey River.

Coastal steelhead management

Final fishing regulations followed an extensive public engagement process, which included a two-part virtual town hall series this past fall, with recordings available online, and several WDFW staff updates to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. The Department will present final rules to the Commission’s Fish Committee on Dec. 12. Meeting details will soon be available on the Commission webpage.

WDFW continues to operate under its Statewide Steelhead Management Plan, which requires the Department to prioritize the sustainability of wild coastal steelhead runs by focusing on healthy levels of abundance, productivity, diversity, and distribution.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries) released a report this month in response to a petition to list Olympic Peninsula steelhead under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The report states this steelhead population is “at a moderate risk of extinction” due to factors including warming ocean and freshwater conditions related to climate change, historic habitat loss and hatchery practices during the previous century, and competition with pink salmon while in the ocean. NOAA Fisheries has not yet issued an official determination regarding the ESA petition.

For more information about coastal steelhead management and the pre-season planning process, please visit WDFW’s website.