Effective Date of Rule: July 1, 2022.
Purpose: The purpose of this emergency rule is to change Puget Sound recreational salmon fishing rules to conform with those agreed to during the 2022 North of Falcon season setting process until those rules are made permanent.
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 220-313-060.
Reasons for this Finding: This emergency rule is necessary to modify salmon seasons in Catch Record Card Areas 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12 to conform with seasons and rules agreed to with comanagers during the 2022 North of Falcon season setting process. These rules are interim until permanent rules are in place.
Date Adopted: June 27, 2022.
Effective July 1 through July 31, 2022, the following provisions of WAC 220-313-060 regarding salmon seasons for the Puget Sound Catch Record Card Areas shall be modified as described herein. All other provisions of WAC 220-313-060 not addressed herein, or unless otherwise amended by emergency rule, remain in effect:
(1) Catch Record Card Area 5:
(a) Daily limit 2; up to 1 may be a Chinook.
(b) Release chum, wild Chinook and wild coho.
(2) Catch Record Card Area 6:
(a) Daily limit 2; up to 1 may be a Chinook.
(b) Release chum, wild Chinook and wild coho.
(c) Waters east of a true north-south line through the Number 2 Buoy immediately east of Ediz Hook: Release all Chinook.
(d) Waters of Port Angeles Harbor west of a line from the tip of Ediz Hook to the ITT Rayonier Dock: Closed.
(e) Waters of Dungeness Bay inside a line from Dungeness Spit Lighthouse to the Number 2 Red Buoy, and then to the Port Williams Boat Ramp: Closed.
(3) Catch Record Card Area 7:
(a) July 1 through July 13: Closed.
(b) July 14 through July 16:
(i) Daily limit 2; up to 1 may be a Chinook.
(ii) Release chum, wild Chinook and wild coho.
(c) July 17 through July 31: Closed.
(d) Waters of Rosario Strait and Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca closure area described in WAC 220-313-020(7): Closed.
(e) Waters of Bellingham Bay described in WAC 220-313-020(1): Closed.
(4) Catch Record Card Area 9:
(a) July 1 through July 13: Closed.
(b) July 14 through July 27: Open Thursdays through Saturdays of each week only:
(i) Daily limit 2; up to 1 may be a Chinook.
(ii) Release chum, wild Chinook and wild coho.
(c) July 28 through July 31:
(i) Daily limit 2; up to 1 may be a Chinook.
(ii) Release chum, wild Chinook and wild coho.
(d) Waters south of a line from Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point: Closed.
(5) Catch Record Card Area 10:
(a) July 1 through July 13:
(i) Daily limit 2.
(ii) Release Chinook and chum.
(b) July 14 through July 31:
(i) Daily limit 2; up to 1 may be a Chinook.
(ii) Release chum and wild Chinook.
(c) Waters of Shilshole Bay southeast of a line from Meadow Point to West Point: Closed.
(d) West Elliott Bay: Waters of Elliott Bay between a line from West Point to Alki Point and a line from Duwamish Head to Pier 91. Closed.
(e) East Elliot Bay: Waters of Elliott Bay between a line from Duwamish Head to Pier 91 up to the mouth of the Duwamish River including Harbor Island (Duwamish Waterways): Salmon: Closed.
(f) Waters of Sinclair Inlet and Port Orchard south of the Manette Bridge in Bremerton, south of a line true west from Battle Point, and west of a line drawn true south from Point White:
(i) Daily limit 3.
(ii) Release chum and wild Chinook.
(g) Free-flowing freshwaters downstream of the mouth at Gorst Creek, Blackjack Creek, Chico Creek, Curley Creek, and Grovers Creek: Closed.
(h) Elliott Bay Fishing Pier at Terminal 86, Seacrest Pier, Waterman Pier, Bremerton Boardwalk, and Illahee State Park Pier, open year-round:
(i) Daily limit 2; up to 1 may be a Chinook.
(ii) Release chum.
(i) Duwamish Waterway downstream from an east-west line projected through southernmost tip of Harbor Island to a line extending from Jack Block Park through the northernmost tip of Harbor Island extending to shore northeast of the North Waterway (47°35.47'N, 122°20.58'W):
(i) Night closure and Anti-snagging rule in effect
(ii) Only fish hooked inside the mouth may be retained.
(j) Free-flowing freshwaters downstream of the mouth at Gorst Creek, Blackjack Creek, Chico Creek, Curley Creek, Grovers Creek: Closed.
(6) Catch Record Card Area 11:
(a) Open Wednesdays through Saturdays of each week only:
(i) Daily limit 2; up to 1 may be a Chinook.
(ii) Release chum and wild Chinook.
(b) Waters of Commencement Bay east of a line from the Cliff House Restaurant to the Sperry Ocean Dock: Closed.
(c) Dash Point Dock, Les Davis Pier, Des Moines Pier, Redondo Pier, and Point Defiance Boathouse Dock:
(i) Daily limit 2; up to 1 may be a Chinook.
(ii) Release chum.
(7) Catch Record Card Area 12:
(a) Waters south of Ayock Point including waters within a 2,000-foot arc seaward of yellow buoys at the mouth of Finch Creek at Hoodsport Salmon Hatchery:
(i) Daily limit 4.
(ii) Release chum and wild Chinook.
(iii) Within a 2,000-foot arc seaward of yellow buoys at the mouth of Finch Creek at Hoodsport Salmon Hatchery: It is unlawful to fish for or possess salmon taken from these waters from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise.
(iv) Those waters of Hood Canal inshore of the 2 yellow buoy markers to the mouth of Finch Creek, waters within the channel created by Finch Creek on exposed tideland and fishing from any Hoodsport Hatchery structure are closed except to persons with disabilities who permanently use a wheelchair and who have a designated harvester card may fish from the ADA–access site at the Hoodsport Salmon Hatchery, as long as persons follow all applicable department rules.
(b) Waters north of Ayock Point: Closed
(c) Free-flowing freshwater is closed to all fishing downstream of the mouth of the Dewatto, Dosewallips, Duckabush, Hamma Hamma, and Skokomish rivers.