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Several rivers on the Olympic Peninsula are closed due to steelhead.
According to officials, to protect declining wild steelhead populations, Olympic National Park will close the Queets, Salmon and Quinault rivers to recreational fishing on November 27, 2023.
Due to the low projected yields, these conservation closures are necessary to prevent any sporting interference with wild steelhead as they travel to spawning areas within and outside the park. Olympic Peninsula steelhead were recently asked to be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Figure 2. Declining trend in total run size of wild steelhead in the Quinault River system, 1985-2023. Data courtesy of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The sport fishing closures are due to low projected yields, anticipated commercial harvest outside the park, and declining trends in the overall size of fishing locations with chronically low inhibitions of wild steelhead. The park and state conservation goals are 4,200 and 1,600 wild steelhead in the Queets System and Upper Quinault, respectively.
“Given the low numbers, we are forced to use the only remaining means to minimize impacts to wild steelhead fish – halt sport fishing in the park. “We understand that these closures impact recreational anglers and fishing guides, and we appreciate their cooperation in protecting these valuable wildlife resources,” said Sula Jacobs, Superintendent of Olympic National Park.
In Olympic National Park, there are significant concerns about protecting wild steelhead in these rivers based on long-term declines in annual run sizes and escapements dating back to 1980 (see images below). Of note, recent years have seen record-breaking returns of wild steelhead species in the Queets and Quinault systems. Of additional concern, wild steelhead have failed to meet state and National Park Service escape goals in 8 of the last 10 years in the Queets and 6 of the last 10 years in Upper Quinault.
Fisheries in Olympic National Park are designed to provide diverse fishing opportunities, enable the harvest of hatchery steelhead, and maintain wild salmonid populations. The National Park Service appreciates the cooperation and understanding of recreational anglers and professional guides during this time. Olympic National Park implements the following seasonal changes:
- Queets River: Closed to recreational fishing effective November 27, 2023
- Salmon River: Closed to recreational fishing effective November 27, 2023
- Quinault River (upper bridge downstream to park boundary): Closed to recreational fishing effective November 27, 2023
Sport fishing regulations in Olympic National Park are implemented in collaboration with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Queets, Quinault and Salmon rivers in Olympic National Park are scheduled to reopen for recreational fishing on June 1, 2024. Current fishing regulations and information can be found at: https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/fishing.htm
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