The Nooksack River will remain closed to fishing ahead of the statewide game fishing opening day.
An emergency fishing rule was issued by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife on Tuesday, May 21. The river and its forks have been closed to all fishing since February.
The reason for the closure is to continue protecting the spring Chinook salmon and wild steelhead trout populations.
“You have these spring Chinook runs that come in the spring and then hold over in the river throughout the summer before they spawn in the fall,” said Chase Gunnell, a communications manager for WDFW. “That makes them very vulnerable to low and warm water conditions.”
The department was concerned about how a drought forecast and a predicted low return of spring Chinook might impact the river in the summer. By closing the river to all fishing, anglers hoping to hook a trout can avoid inadvertently catching a spring Chinook, Gunnell said.
“Maybe they release it and have no intention of killing it, but if that salmon is tired or stressed from that bycatch, it has the potential to either die or have less fitness for spawning,” Gunnell said.
Closure of the river to all fishing starts on Saturday, May 25, and will last through at least July on the mainstem of the Nooksack River. The north, middle and south forks will be closed through September. The locations of the closures are:
- Mainstem Nooksack River: from the Lummi Indian Reservation boundary to the confluence of North and South Forks. Closed from May 25 through July 31;
- North Fork Nooksack River: from the Highway 9 bridge to Nooksack Falls. Closed from May 25 through Sept. 30;
- Middle Fork Nooksack River: from the mouth to the former City of Bellingham diversion dam. Closed from May 25 through Sept. 30;
- South Fork Nooksack River: from the mouth to Skookum Creek. Closed from May 25 through Sept. 30.
The river is expected to reopen for fall game fishing unless additional emergency closures are announced.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
