Wash. Admin. Code § 220-316-010 - [Effective 1/1/2024] Sturgeon-Areas, seasons, limits and unlawful acts
(1) It is unlawful
to fish for or retain green sturgeon.
(2) It is unlawful to fish for sturgeon with
terminal gear other than bait and one single-point barbless hook.
(3) Any sturgeon that cannot lawfully be
retained must be released immediately.
(4) It is unlawful to totally or partially
remove oversized sturgeon from the water. Oversized sturgeon are defined as:
Any sturgeon larger than 55 inches fork length.
(5) It is unlawful to use a gaff or other
body-penetrating device while restraining, handling, or landing a
sturgeon.
(6) The daily limit for
white sturgeon is one fish.
(7) The
annual limit for white sturgeon is two fish, regardless of where the angler
takes the sturgeon. After an angler reaches their annual limit of white
sturgeon, catch and release fishing is permitted in areas open to catch and
release fishing.
(8) The possession
limit is two daily limits of fresh, frozen, or processed white
sturgeon.
(9) It is unlawful to
possess sturgeon eggs in the field without retaining the intact carcass of the
fish from which the eggs have been removed.
(10) Statewide night closure for white
sturgeon fishing.
(11) Coastal
marine areas: Open year-round catch and release only.
(12) Coastal tributaries:
(a) Open when season is open for salmon or
game fish.
(b) Catch and release
only.
(13) Puget Sound
marine areas: Open year-round catch and release only.
(14) Puget Sound tributaries:
(a) Open when season is open for salmon or
game fish; except: Snohomish River from mouth to Highway 9 Bridge: Open
year-round.
(b) Catch and release
only.
(15) Columbia
River and tributaries (except Snake River):
(a) From a true north-south line through Buoy
10 (the mouth) upstream to a line crossing the Columbia River from navigation
marker 82 on the Oregon shore, westerly to the boundary marker on the
Washington shore upstream of Fir Point (navigational marker 82 line; including
Vancouver Lake and all other waters west of Burlington Northern Railroad from
the Columbia River drawbridge near Vancouver downstream to Lewis River (Clark
County): Open year-round catch and release only when season is open for salmon
or game fish.
(b) From a line
crossing the Columbia River from navigation marker 82 on the Oregon shore,
westerly to the boundary marker on the Washington shore upstream of Fir Point
(navigational marker 82 line) to a boundary marker on the Washington shore
approximately 4,000 feet below the fish ladder at the powerhouse, south to the
downstream end of Cascade Island, and across to the Oregon angling boundary on
Bradford Island (the Cascade Island-Bradford Island line):
(i) Open September 1 through April 30: Catch
and release only when season is open for salmon or game fish.
(ii) May 1 through August 31:
Closed.
(c) From a
boundary marker on the Washington shore approximately 4,000 feet below the fish
ladder at the new powerhouse, south to the downstream end of Cascade Island,
and across to the Oregon angling boundary on Bradford Island (the Cascade
Island-Bradford Island line) to the Bonneville Dam: Closed.
(d) From Bonneville Dam to a line from the
east (upstream) dock at the Port of The Dalles boat ramp straight across to a
marker on the Washington shore:
(i) Open
January 1 through April 30 for retention: Minimum fork-length 38 inches and
maximum fork-length 54 inches.
(ii)
Open May 1 through December 31: Catch and release only when season is open for
salmon or game fish.
(e)
From a line from the east (upstream) dock at the Port of The Dalles boat ramp
straight across to a marker on the Washington shore to The Dalles Dam:
(i) Open January 1 through April 30 for
retention: Minimum fork-length 38 inches and maximum fork-length 54
inches.
(ii) May 1 through August
31: Closed.
(iii) Open September 1
through December 31: Catch and release only when season is open for salmon or
game fish.
(f) From The
Dalles Dam to a line crossing the Columbia River at a right angle to the thread
of the river located at the west end of the grain silo at Rufus, Oregon:
(i) Open January 1 through April 30 for
retention: Minimum fork-length 43 inches and maximum fork-length 54
inches.
(ii) Open May 1 through
December 31: Catch and release only when season is open for salmon or game
fish.
(g) From a line
crossing the Columbia River at a right angle to the thread of the river located
at the west end of the grain silo at Rufus, Oregon to John Day Dam:
(i) Open January 1 through April 30 for
retention: Minimum fork-length 43 inches and maximum fork-length 54
inches.
(ii) May 1 through August
31: Closed.
(iii) Open September 1
through December 31: Catch and release only when season is open for salmon or
game fish.
(h) From John
Day Dam to a line from the grain elevators at Patterson Ferry Road on the
Oregon shore, straight across to a marker on the Washington shore at the west
end of the old concrete foundation:
(i) Open
January 1 through April 30 for retention: Minimum fork-length 43 inches and
maximum fork-length 54 inches.
(ii)
Open May 1 through December 31: Catch and release only when season is open for
salmon or game fish.
(i)
From a line from the grain elevators at Patterson Ferry Road on the Oregon
shore, straight across to a marker on the Washington shore at the west end of
the old concrete foundations to McNary Dam:
(i) Open January 1 through April 30 for
retention: Minimum fork-length 43 inches and maximum fork-length 54
inches.
(ii) May 1 through August
31: Closed.
(iii) Open September 1
through December 31: Catch and release only when season is open for salmon or
game fish.
(j) From
McNary Dam to Vernita Bridge: Open year-round catch and release only when
season is open for salmon or game fish.
(k) From Vernita Bridge to Priest Rapids Dam:
(i) Open September 1 through April 30: Catch
and release only when season is open for salmon or game fish.
(ii) May 1 through August 31:
Closed.
(l) From Priest
Rapids Dam to Chief Joseph Dam: Open year-round catch and release only when
season is open for salmon or game fish.
(m) From Chief Joseph Dam to Grand Coulee Dam
and tributaries: Closed.
(n)
Roosevelt Lake:
(i) Open September 16 through
November 30 for retention: Minimum fork-length 53 inches and maximum
fork-length 63 inches.
(ii) Anglers
must cease fishing for the day after obtaining a daily limit and for the season
after the annual limit has been taken.
(iii) December 1 through September 15:
Closed.
(iv) Roosevelt Lake
tributaries: Closed.
(16) Snake River and tributaries:
(a) From the Snake River mouth (from the
Burbank to Pasco railroad bridge) upstream to the downstream end of Goose
Island: Open year-round catch and release only when season is open for salmon
or game fish.
(b) From the
downstream end of Goose Island upstream to Ice Harbor Dam:
(i) Open September 1 through April 30: Catch
and release only when season is open for salmon or game fish.
(ii) May 1 through August 31:
Closed.
(c) From Ice
Harbor Dam upstream to the border with Oregon: Open year-round catch and
release only when season is open for salmon or game fish.
(17) A violation of this section is an
infraction, punishable under
RCW
77.15.160, unless the person has harvested
sturgeon. If the person has harvested sturgeon, the violation is punishable
under RCW
77.15.380 Unlawful recreational fishing in
the second degree-Penalty, unless the sturgeon are taken in the amounts or
manner to constitute a violation of
RCW
77.15.370 Unlawful recreational fishing in
the first degree-Penalty-Criminal wildlife penalty assessment.
(18) It is unlawful to possess sturgeon taken
with gear in violation of the provisions of this section. Possession of
sturgeon while using gear in violation of the provisions of this section is a
rebut-table presumption that the sturgeon were taken with such gear. Possession
of such sturgeon is punishable under
RCW
77.15.380 Unlawful recreational fishing in
the second degree-Penalty, unless the sturgeon are taken in the amounts or
manner to constitute a violation of
RCW
77.15.370 Unlawful recreational fishing in
the first degree-Penalty- Criminal wildlife penalty assessment.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.