PDFWAC 220-340-700

Commercial crawfish fishery.

(1) Licensing: A shellfish pot fishery license is required to operate the gear provided for in this section. An application for a shellfish pot fishery license is available at the offices of the department, by calling the WDFW license division at 360-902-2500, or on the department website at www.wdfw.wa.gov.
(2) Commercial crawfish season: The first Monday in May through October 31, except: In Washington waters of the Columbia River downstream from the mouth of the Walla Walla River, it is permissible to take crawfish from April 1 through October 31.
(3) Commercial crawfish size and sex restrictions:
(a) Crawfish must be 3 1/4 inches or more in length from the tip of the rostrum (nose) to the tip of the tail.
(b) All undersize crawfish and female crawfish with eggs or young attached to the abdomen must be immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which taken. Fishers must sort and return illegal crawfish to the waters from which taken immediately after the crawfish are removed from the shellfish pot and prior to lifting additional pots from the water.
(4) Commercial crawfish gear, fishing areas, and pot number restrictions:
(a) It is unlawful to take crawfish for commercial purposes with gear other than shellfish pots.
(b) The department determines the maximum number of pots permitted in any given body of water. Once the permitted maximum number of pots for any given body of water is reached, no further permits may be issued for that area. Permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis consistent with all other regulations concerning issuance of commercial crawfish harvest permits.
(c) It is unlawful for a person to fish more than 400 pots at one time in the commercial crawfish fishery.
(d) Buoys must consist of durable material that will remain floating on the surface with five pounds attached; bleach or antifreeze bottles or other containers may not be used as floats.
(e) When two or more pots are attached to a common ground line, the number of pots attached must be clearly labeled on the required buoy.
(f) Crawfish gear also subject to provisions of WAC 220-353-020.
(g) It is unlawful to fish for crawfish for commercial purposes in the following waters:
Clallam
Crescent Lake
Clark
Battleground Lake
Cowlitz
Merrill Lake
Grant
Deep Lake
Potholes Res.
Coulee Lake
Soap Lakes
Sun Lakes
Grays Harbor
Sylvia Lake
Island
Cranberry Lake
Jefferson
Anderson Lake
King
Cedar Lake
Elbow Lake
Green Lake
Green River
Margaret Lake
Sammamish Lake
Sammamish River
Sammamish Slough
Walsh Lake
Kittitas
Easton Lake
Klickitat
Horsethief Lake
Roland Lake
Lewis
Mineral Lake
Okanogan
Alta Lake
Buffalo Lake
Campbell Lake
Conconully Lake
Conconully Res.
Crawfish Lake
Omak Lake
Osoyoos Lake
Pearrygin Lake
Pacific
Middle Nemah River
North Nemah River
Smith Creek
Pend Oreille
Browns Lake (on Brown Cr)
Calispell Lake
Cooks Lake
Conklin Lake
Davis Lake
Half Moon Lake
Mystic Lake
No Name Lake
Shearer Lake
Vanee Lake
Pierce
Clear Lake
Spanaway Lake
Steilacoom Lake
Wapato Lake
Skagit
Beaver Lake
Caskey Lake
Cranberry Lake
Everett Lake
Minkler Lake
Pass Lake
Sixteen Lake
Whistle Lake
Skamania
Goose Lake
Mosquito Lake
South Prairie Lake
Stump (Tunnel) Lake
Snohomish
Ballinger Lake
Chaplain Lake
Flowing Lake
Goodwin Lake
Ki Lake
Martha Lake
Pass Lake
Roesiger Lake
Serene Lake
Shoecraft Lake
Silver Lake
Stevens Lake
Stickney Lake
Storm Lake
Thurston
Deep Lake
Hicks Lake
Long Lake
Patterson Lake
Summit Lake
Ward Lake
Whatcom
Budd Lake
Bug Lake
Caine Lake
Fishtrap Creek
Johnson Creek
Padden Lake
Toad or Emerald Lake
(h) It is unlawful to fish for crawfish within 1/4 mile of the shoreline of developed parks.
(i) It is permissible for an individual fisherman to fish for crawfish for commercial use in the waters set out below with up to the number of pots shown.
Name of Lake,
River, or Slough
County
Max. Pots
Allowed
Alder Lake (Res.)
Pierce/Thurston
200
Alkali Lake
Grant
100
Bachelor Slough
Clark
100
Baker Lake
Whatcom
200
Banks Lake
Grant
200
Big Lake
Skagit
200
Black Lake
Thurston
200
Blue Lake
Grant
200
Bonaparte Lake
Okanogan
100
Buckmire Slough
Clark
100
Camas Slough
Clark
100
Campbell Lake
Skagit
100
Cassidy Lake
Snohomish
100
Cavanaugh Lake
Skagit
200
Chehalis River
Lewis/Grays Harbor
100
Chelan Lake
Chelan
200
Clear Lake
Skagit
100
Coal Creek Slough
Cowlitz
100
Columbia River
Clark, Cowlitz, etc.
200
Copalis River
Grays Harbor, etc.
100
Cowlitz River
Clark, Cowlitz, etc.
100
Curlew Lake
Ferry
200
Cushman Lake #1
Clark
100
Deep River
Wahkiakum
100
Deschutes River
Thurston
100
Diablo Lake
Whatcom
200
Drano Lake
Skamania
100
Elochoman River
Wahkiakum
100
Erie Lake
Skagit
100
Evergreen Reservoir
Grant
100
Fisher Island Slough
Cowlitz
100
Goose Lake (upper)
Grant
100
Grays River
Pacific
100
Harts Lake
Pierce
100
Hoquiam River
Grays Harbor
100
Humptulips River
Grays Harbor
100
John's River
Grays Harbor
100
Kapowsin Lake
Pierce
200
Kalama River
Cowlitz, etc.
100
Klickitat
Klickitat
100
Lackamas Lake (Res.)
Clark
100
Lake River
Clark
100
Lawrence Lake
Thurston
100
Lenore Lake
Grant
200
Lewis River
Clark/Cowlitz
100
Loomis Lake
Pacific
100
Mayfield Lake
Lewis
200
McIntosh Lake
Thurston
100
McMurray Lake
Skagit
100
Merwin Lake
Clark/Cowlitz
200
Moses Lake
Grant
200
Naselle River
Pacific, etc.
100
Nisqually River
Pierce, etc.
100
Nooksack River
Whatcom
100
North River
Grays Harbor
100
Palmer Lake
Okanogan
100
Patterson Lake (Res.)
Okanogan
100
Portage Bay
King
100
Rattlesnake Lake
King
100
Ross Lake (Res.)
Whatcom
200
Salmon Lake
Okanogan
100
Satsop River
Grays Harbor
100
Shannon Lake (Res.)
Skagit
200
Sidley Lake
Okanogan
100
Silver Lake
Pierce
100
Silver Lake
Cowlitz
200
Skagit River
Skagit/Whatcom
200
Skamokawa River
Wahkiakum
100
Snake River
Franklin/Walla Walla
200
Snohomish River
Snohomish
100
St. Clair Lake
Thurston
100
Swift Lake (Res.)
Skamania
200
Terrell Lake
Whatcom
100
Toutle River
Cowlitz
100
Union Lake
King
200
Vancouver Lake
Clark
200
Warden Lake
Grant
100
Washington Lake
King
200
Washougal River
Clark/Skamania
100
Whitestone Lake
Okanogan
100
Willapa River
Pacific
100
Wiser Lake
Whatcom
100
Wind River
Cowlitz
100
Wishkah River
Grays Harbor
100
Woodland Slough
Clark
100
Wynoochee River
Grays Harbor
100
Yakima River
Kittitas
100
Yale Lake (Res.)
Clark/Cowlitz
200
(j) Commercial crawfish harvest permits will be issued to limit the number of crawfish pots permissible per fisherman per body of water in suitable crawfish harvest sites not listed in subsections (4)(d) and (e) of this section as follows:
(i) Under 20 acres - No commercial harvest.
(ii) 20 acres to 100 acres - 50 pots.
(iii) 101 acres to 400 acres - 100 pots.
(iv) Over 400 acres - 200 pots.
(k) Permits may be issued only in waters where fishing will not conflict with high density residential or recreational areas. No permit will be issued where developed parks encompass more than 1/2 of the water shoreline.
(5) It is unlawful to discard any crawfish bait into the waters of the state.
(6) This section does not apply to the commercial culture of crawfish at a registered aquatic farm.
(7) It is unlawful to fish for or possess crawfish taken for commercial purposes in violation of this section. Violation of this section is punishable under RCW 77.15.500, 77.15.520, 77.15.522, or 77.15.540, depending on the circumstances of the violation.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.020, 77.04-055 [77.04.055], 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. WSR 22-08-048, § 220-340-700, filed 3/31/22, effective 5/1/22. 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), recodified as § 220-340-700, filed 2/15/17, effective 3/18/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.055, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. WSR 12-23-016 (Order 12-267), § 220-52-060, filed 11/9/12, effective 12/10/12. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 94-12-009 (Order 94-23), § 220-52-060, filed 5/19/94, effective 6/19/94; WSR 91-10-024 (Order 91-22), § 220-52-060, filed 4/23/91, effective 5/24/91; WSR 87-23-006 (Order 87-187), § 220-52-060, filed 11/6/87. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080 and 75.58.040. WSR 86-19-043 (Order 86-102), § 220-52-060, filed 9/12/86. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 80-13-064 (Order 80-123), § 220-52-060, filed 9/17/80; WSR 79-02-053 (Order 79-6), § 220-52-060, filed 1/30/79; Order 76-26, § 220-52-060, filed 1:45 p.m., 4/20/76; Order 945, § 220-52-060, filed 8/16/71; Order 807, § 220-52-060, filed 1/2/69, effective 2/1/69; subsections 1-7, Orders 414 and 256, filed 3/1/60.]