STEELHEAD RETURNS WERE vastly improved on West End rivers in 2023-24, solid returns are again forecast and fisheries biologists with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife are leaning toward providing more opportunities for the upcoming coastal steelhead season.
Staffers provided input on returns and potential fisheries at a virtual town hall meeting held in October.
A second virtual town hall meeting on the 2024-2025 coastal steelhead season will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Register for the Zoom meeting online or by phone https://tinyurl.com/PDN-Steelhead24.
Finalized plans will be presented to the state Fish and Wildlife Commission on Nov. 21 and seasons announced by the end of November.
Best since 2012
The Quillayute River system was productive in 2023-24 and stands to near those totals in 2024-25, according to North Coast District Fish Biologist Jennifer Whitney.
“The Quillayute River System had its best runsize since 2012 with over 11,000 fish returning,” Whitney said. “The forecast was for just over 9,000, so the run exceeded expectations.
For [2024-25], the forecast is lower than last year’s actual runsize [11,000-plus], but higher than last year’s forecast [9,000].”
And the hatchery forecast is for 3,952 clipped fin fish to return to the Quillayute System.
Rules-wise, expect a season similar to 2023-24.
Selective gear rules, the use of one single-point barbless hook, targeted areas with restricted fishing from a boat on the Upper Bogachiel and Calawah rivers and the Sol Duc River above the hatchery ramp.
Mainstem closures occurred March 31.
Whitney indicated that last year’s emergency rules will be in place, except allowing bait on the lower Bogachiel and Calawah in December.
“The discussion has been on providing more opportunity on hatchery fish on the lower Bogachiel and Calawah especially in month of December due to the hatchery run,” Whitney said.
“An April fishery discuss will occur in-season with [tribal] co-managers.”
Hoh River hits records
Hoh River steelhead returns hit record numbers in 2023-24, or at least during the history of Fish and Wildlife Department catch studies.
“It was the largest run we have ever recorded,” biologist Mike Scharpf said. “Over 6,855 wild steelhead runsize from last year with the majority escaping to the spawning grounds.”
The forecast was low by nearly 3,500 wild steelhead.
Expect 2023-24 rules to remain in place with selective gear rules, one single point barbless hook, the repeat of the state’s fishing from a boat survey.
An April fishery will be an in-season decision made with co-managers.
Freshwater Fisheries Policy Coordinator Evan Booher provided some early insights on the no fishing from a boat survey.
The survey is attempting to answer if prohibiting angling from boats reduce wild steelhead total catch and mortality in a catch and release fishery?
Downstream of Oxbow Campground (lower and Middle Hoh) serves as the treatment in the experiment with no fishing from a boat allowed.
The control allows fishing from a boat from Oxbow to Morgan’s Crossing.
The intent is to compare catch rate, effort and total wild steelhead catch between control/treatment days.
Early returns are … pretty obvious.
“Methods matter bank boat for transport fishing from a boat,” a Powerpoint slide stated.
“When fishing from a boat is prohibited, bank angling and using a boat for transport are more effective.”
Queets/Clearwater
Low wild returns shut down steelhead fishing in 2023-24 on the Queets/Clearwater and the Salmon rivers, with a return of 4,150 wild steelhead and an escapement of 3,962.
Communications are underway with the Quinault Tribe for 24-25 fisheries.
There’s a 4,345 wild runsize expected in 24-25, with a hatchery forecast of 1,798 fish from a program on the Salmon River.
“There’s some opportunities kicking about with that Salmon River hatchery production on it,” Fish and Wildlife Biologist Mike Scharpf said in the first coastal steelhead meeting.
For more information on the coastal steelhead program, visit https://tinyurl.com/PDN-CoastalSteel.
Razor clam digs
The following digs during evening (p.m.) low tides will proceed as scheduled, after marine toxin results from the Washington Department of Health (DOH) showed razor clams are safe to eat:
• Wednesday: 4:15 p.m.; -0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks.
• Thursday: 5:02 p.m.; -1.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks.
• Friday: 5:48 p.m.; -1.7 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis.
• Nov. 16: 6:33 p.m.; -1.9 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis.
• Nov. 17: 7:19 p.m.; -1.8 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks.
• Nov. 18: 8:05 p.m.; -1.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks.
• Nov. 19: 8:54 p.m.; -0.7 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis.
On all open beaches, the daily limit is 15 clams per person. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container, and all diggers must keep the first 15 clams they dig, regardless of size or condition, to prevent waste.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsula dailynews.com.
