Winter Steelheading Coming To A Close On Most Puget Sound Streams

Friday, January 31st will be the last day to fish steelhead on most of Puget Sounds rivers. There will be a few hatchery terminal areas that will remain open through February 15th. Make sure to read your WDFW regulations on the particular area you intend to fish as things are complicated.

This has been perhaps the worse steelhead season that we have seen here in the Puget Sound region. Even with the closures on retention of hatchery steelhead, it will be doubtful that we will reach our broodstock needs at many of our hatcheries. Here's a run down on the number of fish that have returned to our various hatcheries here in our region as of today.

Kendall Creek (Nooksack River) 19

Whitehorse (N. F. Stillagumish River) 24

Tokul Creek (Snoqualmie River) 89

Wallace River (Skykomish River) 60

Reiter Ponds (Skykomish River) 45

Not great numbers considering the non retention of hatchery fish placed upon these rivers this season. Hopefully, we will still get a few more hatchery fish back to the hatcheries on these systems in the next few weeks.