West End rivers have reopened for fishing after low water levels threatened salmon and forced emergency closures last month.
But sport anglers must release all chinook salmon through Nov. 30, which is the end of the salmon season, because of biologists’ concerns over low numbers.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife reopened the Quillayute River system and Clearwater River effective today, and reopened the Lower Hoh River on Monday.
The Quillayute system includes the Quillayute, Bogachiel, Calawah, Dickey and Sol Duc rivers.
Olympic National Park will reopen the Queets and Salmon rivers and parts of the Quillayute system within the park, with anglers there also required to release any chinook.
The rivers have been closed for two weeks since dry conditions caused low streamflows and delayed coho and chinook salmon from migrating upriver to their usual spawning grounds.
Rain across the Olympic Peninsula in the last week has raised stream flows well above their average flow for this time of year.
“I’d say they’re where we want them to be,” state Department of Fish and Wildlife Biologist Mike Gross said Tuesday. “They’re fine at this point.”
Statistics from the U.S. Geological Survey showed streamflow for the Hoh River at 16,300 cubic feet per second Tuesday, compared to its mean of 3,832 cfs at this time during an average year.
Similar measurements showed the Clearwater River, in Jefferson County south of the Hoh River, at 18,400 cfs Tuesday compared with 6,756 during an average year.
Streamflows are also high on the Quillayute River, Karsten Boysen, information and education officer for the Quileute tribe, said Tuesday.
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