WSR 26-13-055
EMERGENCY RULES
DEPARTMENT OF
FISH AND WILDLIFE
[Order 26-105—Filed June 11, 2026, 4:49 p.m., effective June 12, 2026]
Effective Date of Rule: June 12, 2026.
Purpose: This emergency rule adjusts landing and possession limits for coastal commercial troll salmon fishery.
Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 220-354-30000X; and amending WAC 220-354-300.
Under RCW
34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: A harvestable quota of salmon is available for the troll fleet, but remaining quota is limited and requires reduction of landing and possession limits for the next open period. Remaining quota will be assessed after the June 12 through 16 open period to determine if sufficient quota remains for any additional openings. The regulation is necessary to both meet conservation limits and provide fishing opportunity and its corresponding economic benefit. These rules are adopted at the recommendation of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, in accordance with preseason fishing plans, and have been adopted for federal waters by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There is insufficient time to adopt permanent rules.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: June 11, 2026.
Kelly Susewind
Director
NEW SECTION
WAC 220-354-30000YCoastal salmon troll seasons—Commercial.
Notwithstanding the provisions of WAC 220-354-300, WAC 220-353-050, and WAC 220-354-010, effective June 12, 2026, until further notice, it is unlawful to fish for salmon with troll gear or to land salmon taken with troll gear into a Washington port except during the seasons and under conditions provided in this section:
(1) Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Areas 1, 2, 3, and that portion of Area 4 west of 125°05'00"W longitude and south of 48°23'00"N latitude open June 12 through June 16.
(2) Grays Harbor Control Zone, defined by a line drawn from the Westport Lighthouse (46°53′18″N. lat., 124°07′01″W. long.); thence to Buoy #2 (46°52′42″N. lat., 124°12′42″W. long.); thence to Buoy #3 (46°55′00″N. lat., 124°14′48″W. long.); thence to the Grays Harbor north jetty (46°55′36″N. lat., 124°10′51″W. long.), open during periods identified in subsection (1).
(3) In Washington Catch Reporting Areas 1, 2, 3 and 4, landing and possession limit combined across all areas of 35 Chinook per vessel per landing week, defined as Thursday through Wednesday
(4) Vessels fishing in an area with a higher landing and possession limit may transit through an area with a lower limit, provided reporting requirements in this section are met when crossing the Queets River or Leadbetter Point lines.
(5) The Cape Flattery and Columbia River Control Zones are closed. The Salmon Troll Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area is closed.
(6) Minimum size for Chinook salmon is 27 inches in length (20 1/2 inches frozen dressed). No minimum size for pink, sockeye or chum salmon. It is unlawful to possess coho salmon.
(7) It is unlawful to fish in Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Areas 1, 2, 3 or 4 with fish on board taken south of Cape Falcon, Oregon and all fish taken from Salmon Management and Catch Reporting Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4 must be landed before fishing south of Cape Falcon, Oregon.
(8) It is unlawful for wholesale dealers and trollers retailing their fish to fail to report their landing by 10:00 a.m. the day following landing. Ticket information can be telephoned in by calling 1-866-791-1279, faxing the information to (360) 902-2949, or e-mailing to trollfishtickets@dfw.wa.gov. Report the dealer's name, the dealer license number, the purchasing location, the date of purchase, the fish ticket numbers, the gear used, the catch area, the species, the total number for each species, and the total weight for each species, including halibut.
(9) During any single trip, only one side of the Leadbetter Point line (46°38'10"N. lat.) may be fished.
(10) Vessels fishing or in possession of salmon while fishing south of Leadbetter Point must land and deliver all species of fish within the area south of Leadbetter Point, except Washington permitted vessels may also land all species of fish north of Leadbetter Point.
(a) For delivery to Washington ports north of Leadbetter Point, vessels must notify WDFW at 360-249-1215 or by email at Danielle.Williams@dfw.wa.gov prior to crossing the Leadbetter Point line with area fished, total Chinook, coho, and halibut catch aboard, and destination with approximate time of delivery.
(b) Vessels in possession of salmon south of Leadbetter Point who are returning to port north of Leadbetter Point must offload all fish from the vessel prior to beginning a new fishing trip.
(c) Vessels may not land fish east of Tongue Point, Oregon or east of the Sekiu River.
(11) Vessels fishing or in possession of salmon north of Leadbetter Point must land and deliver all species of fish in a Washington port and must possess a Washington troll and/or salmon delivery license.
(a) For delivery to Washington ports south of Leadbetter Point, vessels must notify WDFW at 360-249-1215 or by email at Danielle.Williams@dfw.wa.gov prior to crossing the Leadbetter Point line with area fished, total Chinook and halibut catch aboard, and destination with approximate time of delivery.
(b) Vessels in possession of salmon south of the Queets River may not cross the Queets River line (47°31'42"N. lat.) without first notifying WDFW at 360-249-1215 or by email at Danielle.Williams@dfw.wa.gov with area fished, total Chinook and halibut catch aboard and destination.
(c) Vessels in possession of salmon north of the Queets River may not cross the Queets River line without first notifying WDFW at 360-249-1215 or by email at Danielle.Williams@dfw.wa.gov with area fished, total Chinook and halibut catch aboard and destination.
(d) Vessels may not land fish east Tongue Point, Oregon or east of the Sekiu River.
(12) All trip limits and other requirements pertaining to groundfish retention within the non-trawl Rockfish Conservation Area in the Code of Federal Regulations, 50 CFR 635.69, apply to state territorial waters within Areas 58B, 59A-1, 59A-2, 59B, 60A-1 and 60A-2.
Reviser's note: The typographical errors in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appear in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040. REPEALER
The following section of Washington Administrative Code is repealed, effective June 12, 2026:
WAC 220-354-30000X | Coastal salmon troll seasons—Commercial. (Order 26-99) |