Wash. Admin. Code § 220-354-250 – Willapa Bay salmon fall fishery

From August 16 through December 31 of each year, it is unlawful to fish for salmon in Willapa Bay for commercial purposes or to possess salmon taken from those waters for commercial purposes, except that:

Fishing periods:

(1) Gillnet gear may be used to fish for coho salmon, chum salmon, and Chinook salmon for the dates listed in the table below:

Area	Time	Date(s)	MaximumMesh Size
2N, 2M, 2R	6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m.	8/13, 8/16		4.25"
2N, 2R	6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m.	8/18, 8/20, 8/23, 8/26, 8/30		4.25"
2M	6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m.	8/30		4.25"
2N, 2M, 2R	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	9/8, 9/10		4.25"
2N, 2R, 2T	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	9/12		4.25"
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	9/14, 9/15, 9/16, 9/18, 9/19		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	9/17		6.5"
2U	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	9/14, 9/17, 9/19		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	9/21, 9/22, 9/23, 9/25, 9/26		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	9/24		6.5"
2U	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	9/22, 9/24, 9/26		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	9/28, 9/29, 9/30, 10/2, 10/3		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/1		6.5"
2U	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	9/29, 10/1, 10/3		6.5"
2M, 2T	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/6, 10/7, 10/9, 10/10		6.5"
2N, 2R	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/6, 10/7. 10/8, 10/9, 10/10		6.5"
2U	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/6, 10/8, 10/9, 10/10		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/12, 10/13		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T, 2U	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/14		6.5"
2T	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/15		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/16		6.5"
2U	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/17		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/19, 10/20		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T, 2U	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/22		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/25		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	10/26, 10/30		6.5"
2N, 2M, 2R, 2T, 2U	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	11/3		6.5"
2U	7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m.	11/13, 11/17, 11/20, 11/24, 11/28		6.5"

Gear:

(2) Gillnet gear restrictions - All areas:
1. (a) Drift gillnet gear only. It is unlawful to use set net gear.
2. (b) It is permissible to have on-board a commercial vessel more than one net, provided the nets are of a mesh size that is legal for the fishery, and the length of any one net does not exceed 1,500 feet in length.
3. (c) It is unlawful to use a gillnet to fish for salmon if the lead line weighs more than two pounds per fathom of net as measured on the cork line.
4. (d) It is permissible to have a gillnet with a lead line weighing more than two pounds per fathom aboard a vessel when the vessel is fishing in or transiting through Willapa Bay, provided the net is properly stored. A properly stored net is defined as a net on a drum that is fully covered by a tarp (canvas or plastic) and bound with a minimum of 10 revolutions of rope that is 3/8 (0.375) inches or greater.
5. (e) From 6:00 a.m. August 13 through 7:00 p.m. November 28, 2025: Mesh size must not exceed six and one-half inches stretched, except mesh size must not exceed four and one-quarter inches stretched in Areas 2N and 2R on August 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 26, 30, September 8, 10, 12, Area 2M on August 13, 16, 30, September 8, 10, and Area 2T on September 12, 2025.
  Other:
(3) Recovery boxes and soak time limits described in this section are required from 6:00 a.m. August 13 through 7:00 p.m. November 28, 2025:
1. (a) Each boat must have two operable recovery boxes or one box with two chambers on board when fishing in Willapa Bay Areas 2M, 2N, 2R, 2T, and 2U, except October 19 through November 28, 2025 when one operable recovery box or one chamber of a two chambered recovery box must be on board when fishing in Willapa Bay Areas 2M, 2N, 2R, 2T, and 2U.
  1. (i) Each box and chamber must be operating during any time the net is being retrieved or picked. The flow in the recovery box must be a minimum of 16 gallons per minute in each chamber of the box, not to exceed 20 gallons per minute.
  2. (ii) Each chamber of the recovery box must meet the following dimensions as measured from within the box:
    1. (A) The inside length measurement must be at or within 39-1/2 inches to 48 inches;
    2. (B) The inside width measurements must be at or within 8 to 10 inches; and
    3. (C) The inside height measurement must be at or within 14 to 16 inches.
  3. (iii) Each chamber of the recovery box must include a water inlet hole between 3/4 inch and 1 inch in diameter, centered horizontally across the door or wall of the chamber and 1-3/4 inches from the floor of the chamber. Each chamber of the recovery box must include a water outlet hole opposite the inflow that is at least 1-1/2 inches in diameter. The center of the outlet hole must be located a minimum of 12 inches above the floor of the box or chamber. The fisher must demonstrate to department employees, fish and wildlife enforcement officers, or other peace officers, upon request, that the pumping system is delivering the proper volume of fresh river/bay water into each chamber.
2. (b) From 6:00 a.m. August 13 through 7:00 p.m. November 28, 2025, all steelhead and all wild (unmarked) Chinook must be placed in an operating recovery box, which meets the requirements in (a) of this subsection prior to being released to the river/bay as set forth in (c) of this subsection.
3. (c) All fish placed in recovery boxes must remain until they are not lethargic and/or not bleeding and must be released to the river/bay prior to landing or docking.
4. (d) Soak time must not exceed 45 minutes. Soak time is defined as the time elapsed from when the first of the gillnet web is deployed into the water until the gillnet web is fully retrieved from the water.
(4) Quick reporting is required for wholesale dealers and fishers retailing their catch under a "limited fish seller endorsement." According to WAC 220-352-320, reports must be submitted by 10:00 a.m. on the day after the purchase date, unless otherwise specified in a voluntary electronic fish receiving ticket reporting agreement (see WAC 220-352-035(3)).
(5) Retention prohibitions:
1. (a) All green and white sturgeon and all steelhead, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, must be handled with care to minimize injury to the fish and must be released immediately to the river/bay.
2. (b) Retention of any species other than coho, Chinook, chum, or pink salmon is prohibited.
3. (c) From 6:00 a.m. August 13 through 7:00 p.m. November 28, 2025, retention of any species other than coho salmon, hatchery Chinook salmon marked by a healed scar at the site of the adipose fin, chum, or pink salmon is prohibited.
(6) Report all encounters of green sturgeon, white sturgeon, and steelhead, (your name, date of encounter, and number of species encountered) to the quick reporting office via phone at # 866-791-1280, fax at # 360-249-1229, or email at harborfishtickets@dfw.wa.gov. Fishers may have wholesale dealers use the "buyer only" portion of the fish ticket and have encounters included with each day's quick reporting.
(7) Do not remove tags from white sturgeon. Please obtain available information from tags without removing tags. Submit tag information to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 48 Devonshire Rd., Montesano, WA 98563.
(8) Those waters of Area 2T, north of a line from Toke Point channel marker 3 easterly through Willapa Harbor channel marker 13 (green), then northeasterly to the power transmission pole located at 46°43.1907'N, 123°50.83134'W are CLOSED from 12:01 a.m. September 12, 2025, through 11:59 p.m., September 30, 2025.
(9) It is unlawful to fish with gillnet gear in Areas 2M, 2N, 2R, 2T, and 2U unless the vessel operator has attended a "Fish Friendly" best fishing practices workshop and has in their possession while fishing a department-issued certification card.
(10) Fishers must take department observers, if requested by department staff, when participating in these openings. Fishers also must provide notice of intent to participate by contacting quick reporting by phone, fax, or email, listed in subsection (6) of this section. Notice of intent must be given prior to 5:00 p.m. on August 1, 2025.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, and 77.12.047. WSR 25-13-089 (Order 25-03), s 220-354-250, filed 6/16/25, effective 7/17/25; WSR 24-13-052 (Order 24-04), § 220-354-250, filed 6/13/24, effective 7/14/24; WSR 23-13-070 (Order 23-75), § 220-354-250, filed 6/14/23, effective 7/15/23; WSR 22-14-053 (Order 22-116), § 220-354-250, filed 6/29/22, effective 7/30/22; WSR 21-14-069 (Order 21-93), § 220-354-250, filed 7/2/21, effective 8/2/21; WSR 20-14-051 (Order 20-103), § 220-354-250, filed 6/25/20, effective 7/26/20. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. WSR 19-15-053 (Order 19-127), § 220-354-250, filed 7/12/19, effective 8/12/19; WSR 18-15-070, § 220-354-250, filed 7/17/18, effective 8/17/18. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.090 and 77.04.130. WSR 18-11-052 (Order 18-92), § 220-354-250, filed 5/10/18, effective 6/10/18. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. WSR 17-17-012, § 220-354-250, filed 8/4/17, effective 9/4/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.020, 77.04.055, and 77.12.047. WSR 17-05-112 (Order 17-04), amended and recodified as § 220-354-250, filed 2/15/17, effective 3/18/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, 77.12.045, 77.12.047, and 77.04.055. WSR 16-15-029 (Order 16-176), § 220-40-027, filed 7/12/16, effective 8/12/16; WSR 15-18-029 (Order 15-281), § 220-40-027, filed 8/25/15, effective 9/8/15; WSR 14-15-052 (Order 14-173), § 220-40-027, filed 7/11/14, effective 8/11/14. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.020, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. WSR 13-17-001 (Order 13-184), § 220-40-027, filed 8/7/13, effective 8/12/13; WSR 12-11-093, § 220-40-027, filed 5/18/12, effective 6/18/12; WSR 11-14-003 (Order 11-91), § 220-40-027, filed 6/22/11, effective 7/23/11; WSR 10-12-061 (Order 09-108), § 220-40-027, filed 5/27/10, effective 6/27/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047 and 77.04.020. WSR 09-16-125 (Order 09-109), § 220-40-027, filed 8/4/09, effective 9/4/09; WSR 08-15-003 (Order 08-166), § 220-40-027, filed 7/3/08, effective 8/3/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.020, 77.12.047, and 77.65.200. WSR 07-17-010, § 220-40-027, filed 8/3/07, effective 9/3/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 05-17-006 (Order 05-167), § 220-40-027, filed 8/3/05, effective 9/3/05; WSR 04-16-013 (Order 04-183), § 220-40-027, filed 7/22/04, effective 8/22/04; WSR 03-18-004 (Order 03-208), § 220-40-027, filed 8/20/03, effective 9/20/03; WSR 02-16-021 (Order 02-173), § 220-40-027, filed 7/26/02, effective 8/26/02; WSR 01-13-055 (Order 01-104), § 220-40-027, filed 6/15/01, effective 7/16/01; WSR 00-23-065 (Order 00-240), § 220-40-027, filed 11/15/00, effective 12/16/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 99-24-104 (Order 99-206), § 220-40-027, filed 11/30/99, effective 12/31/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080 and 77.12.040. WSR 98-15-081 (Order 98-122), § 220-40-027, filed 7/15/98, effective 8/15/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 97-15-148 (Order 97-123), § 220-40-027, filed 7/23/97, effective 8/23/97; WSR 96-13-035 (Order 96-77), § 220-40-027, 6/11/96, effective 7/12/96; WSR 95-13-065 (Order 95-76), § 220-40-027, filed 6/19/95, effective 7/20/95; WSR 94-16-017 (Order 94-61), § 220-40-027, filed 7/21/94, effective 8/21/94; WSR 93-14-042 (Order 93-54), § 220-40-027, filed 6/29/93, effective 7/30/93; WSR 90-18-023 (Order 90-77), § 220-40-027, filed 8/24/90, effective 9/24/90; WSR 89-16-056 (Order 89-71), § 220-40-027, filed 7/28/89, effective 8/28/89.]