Each week we round-up the top fishing news from the Northwest and beyond. Do you have a news tip? E-mail us at news /at/ salmonuniversity.com.

WDFW Launches First Lowland Lake Trout Derby

On April 23, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will begin its first lowland lake fishing derby, which runs through September 6, 2016. Anglers who catch one of more than 700 tagged fish can claim prizes provided by license dealers located across the state. For a list of lakes with prize fish and details on how to claim prizes, visit the WDFW website here.

Puget Sound Shrimp Fishery to Open May 14

Recreational spot shrimp fishing will open May 14 in Puget Sound under seasons announced last week by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). This year’s Puget Sound shrimp fishing seasons are generally similar to those in 2015 although quotas will be lower in some areas, said WDFW’s Mark O’Toole, in a press release.

“Last year, we had a higher turnout than anticipated in south Puget Sound, where we’ve typically seen very little fishing effort,” O’Toole said. “For that reason, Marine Area 13 is scheduled to be open only four days in 2016.”

Puget Sound recreational shrimp season opening days are:

Hood Canal Shrimp District (Marine Area 12): Open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 14, 18, 28 and 30.

Discovery Bay Shrimp District (Marine Area 6): Open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 14, 18, 28 and 30.

Marine areas 4 (east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5, 6 (excluding Discovery Bay Shrimp District), and 7 West: Open daily beginning May 14. The recreational spot shrimp season closes when the quota is attained or Sept. 15, whichever comes first.

Marine Area 7 South: Open daily May 14-31.

Marine Area 7 East: Open May 14-15, May 18-21 and May 25-28.

Marine areas 8-1, 8-2, and 9: Open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 14 and May 18.

Marine areas 10 and 11: Open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 14.

Marine Area 13: Open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 14, 18, 21 and 31.

In areas 4, 5, 6, and 7 (East, South and West) start times will be one hour before sunrise.

Spring Chinook Fishing on Lower Columbia Closes Early

Spring Chinook fishing on the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam closed one day earlier than anticipated as higher than expected effort and catch rates since late March led fishery managers from Washington and Oregon to close the popular salmon fishery in the lower section of the river, effective on Friday, April 8, instead of April 9 as originally planned. They also closed the river below Bonneville to steelhead and shad fishing; according to the states, the moves were to protect migrating salmon.

“I am very disappointed that we have to close this season early,” Tucker Jones, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Ocean Fisheries and Columbia River program manager, said in a written statement. “If there is a silver lining, it is that a lot of people got out early and caught a lot of fish, and that our upriver fisheries are tracking as expected.”

Columbia River salmon seasons are all quota driven, meaning that when managers set harvest limits and season dates at the beginning of the year they can change depending on catch, effort and run size.

Kickstarter Campaign for “Fishing Buckle”



A California man is soliciting support for an invention he’s calling “the Fishing Buckle”. A take on a fighting belt, the Fishing Buckle is designed to be worn all day long. Donations to Marcus Hunt’s Kickstarter campaign at the $25 level will earn the donor a first-run model, if the project is funded. With five days to go in the campaign, Hunt is short about $15,000 of his $20,000 goal.

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