OLYMPIA — The quota count is in and more shrimp fishing is on the way for many marine areas in northern and southern Puget Sound in early June.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced additional opportunities to harvest spot shrimp from 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. on Wednesday in Marine area 9 (Port Townsend Bay, Edmonds, Admiralty Inlet).
This opening is one of the additions to previously announced shrimp fishing dates and times still underway in June.
“In some areas, such as areas around major urban hubs, there is a large demand on shrimp, requiring us to closely monitor and sometime limit fishing to conserve shrimp fishing opportunities for the future,” said Katelyn Bosley, Puget Sound crustacean biologist. “Now that we’ve had a chance to close and count, we are happy to find that in some areas recreational shrimp quota remains, which will allow more people to get out and have another go at catching spot shrimp in early June.”
The exception are areas near Elliot Bay and Bainbridge, Marine Area 10, where shrimp fishing will remain closed.
Beginning today in Puget Sound, the daily limit for shrimp is 10 pounds of all shrimp types, with a maximum of 80 spot shrimp if an area is open to spot shrimp harvest. Only pots with a minimum 1-inch mesh are allowed when retaining spot shrimp. In areas where additional spot shrimp fishing is allowed, pots may only be set or pulled between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
In other marine areas without designated hours, WDFW managers remind shrimpers that traps can be set one hour before official sunrise during any open period. The pots must be removed from the water in these same areas by one hour after sunset at the end of an open period.
A valid 2021-22 combination license, shellfish license or Fish Washington license is required to participate in the fishery.
More information on recreational shrimp seasons, and a description of the marine areas, is available on WDFW’s recreational shrimp fishing section of the website: www.tinyurl.com/washshrimp.
Lower Hoh River to open for gamefish
OLYMPIA — The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is opening the lower Hoh River, below the Oxbow Boat Launch for game fish from today through June 30.
The opening goes from the Olympic National Park boundary near the Hoh River mouth upstream to the Department of Natural Resources Hoh Oxbow Campground boat launch.
Statewide minimum size and daily limit is in effect. Wild rainbow trout must be released and cutthroat minimum size is 14 inches. The area is closed to salmon fishing.
Only one single-point barbless hooks are allowed. Bait is prohibited and all wild steelhead must be released.
Fishing from a boat is allowed, but fishing from a floating device with an internal combustion motor is prohibited.
This opening provides opportunity for gamefish while protecting spring/summer-run Chinook salmon, according to the WDFW.
Fishing remains closed on the Hoh River upstream of the Oxbow Boat Launch to the Olympic National Park boundary and on the South Fork of the Hoh River outside of the Olympic National Park boundaries. These sections are scheduled to reopen July 1 under permanent regulations and remain open through August 31.
