Grays Harbor salmon fall fishery.
From August 16 through December 31 of each year, it is unlawful to fish for salmon in Grays Harbor for commercial purposes or to possess salmon taken from those waters for commercial purposes, except that:
Fishing periods:
(1) Gillnet gear may be used to fish for Chinook, coho, and chum salmon, and shad as provided in this section and in the tables below.
Area | Time | Date(s) | Maximum Mesh Size |
2A, 2D | 12:01 p.m. through 7:00 p.m. | October 3 | | 4.25" |
2A, 2D | 7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. | October 4 | | 4.25" |
2A, 2D | 12:01 p.m. through 7:00 p.m. | October 18 | | 4.25" |
2A, 2D | 7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. | October 26 | | 6.50" |
2A, 2D | 7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. | October 30 | | 6.50" |
2A, 2D | 7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. | October 31 | | 6.50" |
2A, 2D | 7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. | November 1 | | 6.50" |
Area | Time and Date | Maximum Mesh Size |
2C | 7:00 a.m. October 23 through 7:00 p.m. October 24 | 9.00" |
2C | 7:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. November 2 | 9.00" |
Gear:
(2) Gillnet gear restrictions - All areas:
(a) It is permissible to have on board a commercial vessel more than one net, provided that the length of any one net does not exceed 1,500 feet in length. Nets not specifically authorized for use in this fishery may be aboard the vessel if properly stored. A properly stored net is defined as a net on a drum that is fully covered by a tarp (canvas or plastic) and bound with a minimum of 10 revolutions of rope that is 3/8 (0.375) inches in diameter or greater.
(b) Areas 2A and 2D from October 3 through November 30: Gillnet gear only.
(i) Drift gillnet gear only. It is unlawful to use set net gear.
(ii) It is unlawful to utilize any object, except the vessel deploying the gear, to impede a gillnet or its attached line or float from drifting.
(iii) Mesh size must not exceed six and one-half inch maximum, except mesh size must not exceed four and one-quarter inches stretched in Areas 2A and 2D on October 3-4, and October 18, 2023.
(iv) It is unlawful to use a gillnet to fish for salmon if the lead line weighs more than two pounds per fathom of net as measured on the cork line. It is permissible to have a gillnet with a lead line weighing more than two pounds per fathom aboard a vessel when the vessel is fishing in or transiting through Grays Harbor.
(c) Area 2C from October 1 through November 30: Gillnet gear only.
(i) Drift gillnet gear only. It is unlawful to use set net gear.
(ii) It is unlawful to utilize any object, except the vessel deploying the gear, to impede a gillnet or its attached line or float from drifting.
(iii) Mesh size must not exceed nine inches.
(iv) It is unlawful to use a gillnet to fish for salmon if the lead line weighs more than two pounds per fathom of net as measured on the cork line. It is permissible to have a gillnet with a lead line weighing more than two pounds per fathom aboard a vessel when the vessel is fishing in or transiting through Grays Harbor.
Other:
(3) Recovery boxes and soak times:
(a) Each boat must have two operable recovery boxes or one box with two chambers on board when fishing Areas 2A, 2C, and 2D.
(i) Each box and chamber must be operating during any time the net is being retrieved or picked and any time a fish is being held in accordance with (b) and (c) of this subsection. The flow in the recovery box must be a minimum of 16 gallons per minute in each chamber of the box, not to exceed 20 gallons per minute.
(ii) Each chamber of the recovery box must meet the following dimensions as measured from within the box:
(A) The inside length measurement must be at or within 39-1/2 inches to 48 inches;
(B) The inside width measurements must be at or within 8 to 10 inches; and
(C) The inside height measurement must be at or within 14 to 16 inches.
(iii) Each chamber of the recovery box must include a water inlet hole between 3/4 inch and 1 inch in diameter, centered horizontally across the door or wall of the chamber and 1-3/4 inches from the floor of the chamber. Each chamber of the recovery box must include a water outlet hole opposite the inflow that is at least 1-1/2 inches in diameter. The center of the outlet hole must be located a minimum of 12 inches above the floor of the box or chamber. The fisher must demonstrate to department employees, fish and wildlife enforcement officers, or other peace officers, upon request, that the pumping system is delivering the proper volume of fresh river or fresh bay water into each chamber.
(b) When fishing in Grays Harbor Areas 2A and 2D, all steelhead and wild (unmarked) Chinook must be placed in an operating recovery box which meets the requirements in (a) of this subsection prior to being released to the river/bay as set forth in (d) of this subsection.
(c) When fishing in Grays Harbor Area 2C, all steelhead must be placed in an operating recovery box which meets the requirements in (a) of this subsection prior to being released to the river/bay as set forth in (d) of this subsection.
(d) All fish placed in recovery boxes must remain until they are not lethargic and not bleeding and must be released to the river or bay prior to landing or docking.
(e) For Areas 2A and 2D, soak time must not exceed 45 minutes. Soak time is defined as the time elapsed from when the first of the gillnet web is deployed into the water until the gillnet web is fully retrieved from the water.
(4) Retention of any species other than coho, chum, hatchery Chinook marked by a healed scar at the site of the adipose fin, or shad is prohibited in Areas 2A and 2D from October 3 through November 30.
(5) Retention of any species other than Chinook, chum, coho or shad, is prohibited in Area 2C from October 1 through November 30.
(6) Quick reporting is required for original receivers. According to WAC
220-352-320, reports must be made by 10:00 a.m. the day following landing, unless otherwise specified in an electronic fish receiving ticket reporting agreement (see WAC
220-352-035(3)).
(7) Report all encounters of green sturgeon to the quick reporting office via phone at 866-791-1280, fax at 360-249-1229, or email at harborfishtickets@dfw.wa.gov. Fishers may have wholesale fish buyers use the "buyer only" portion of the fish ticket and include encounters with each day's quick reporting.
(8) Do NOT remove tags from white or green sturgeon. Please obtain available information from tags without removing tags. Submit tag information to:
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
48 Devonshire Rd.
Montesano, WA 98563.
(9)(a) Fishers must take department observers, if requested, by department staff when participating in these openings.
(b) Fishers also must provide notice of intent to participate by contacting Quick Reporting by phone, fax or email. Notice of intent must be given prior to 5:00 p.m. on September 26, for openings in Areas 2A, 2C, or 2D.
(10) It is unlawful to fish for salmon with tangle net or gillnet gear in Areas 2A and 2D unless the vessel operator has attended a "Fish Friendly" best fishing practices workshop and has in his or her possession a department-issued certification card.
(11) Those waters of Area 2D commonly known as the South Channel, shoreward of a line projected from a point on the southwest side of Hwy 105 bridge (46°53.925'N, 123°59.986'W) then northwest to a point on an unnamed projection of land (46°54.060'N, 124°0.239'W) then northerly to Channel Marker 8 (46°55.369'N, 124°00.576'W) and to Channel Marker 27 (46°56.487'N, 124°0.394'W), then easterly to North Pipeline Beacon (46°57.329'N, 123°50.957'W) and south easterly in a straight line through the South Pipeline Beacon (46°57.303'N, 123°50.932'W) to the south shore are closed from 12:01 a.m. October 3, 2023, through 11:59 p.m., October 21, 2023.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
77.04.012,
77.04.020,
77.04.055, and
77.12.047. WSR 23-13-070 (Order 23-75), § 220-354-290, filed 6/14/23, effective 7/15/23; WSR 22-14-053 (Order 22-116), § 220-354-290, filed 6/29/22, effective 7/30/22; WSR 21-14-069 (Order 21-93), § 220-354-290, filed 7/2/21, effective 8/2/21; WSR 20-14-051 (Order 20-103), § 220-354-290, filed 6/25/20, effective 7/26/20. Statutory Authority: RCW
77.04.012,
77.04.013,
77.04.020,
77.04.055,
77.12.045, and
77.12.047. WSR 19-15-054 (Order 19-129), § 220-354-290, filed 7/12/19, effective 8/12/19; WSR 18-17-071 (Order 18-191), § 220-354-290, filed 8/10/18, effective 9/10/18. Statutory Authority: RCW
77.04.090 and
77.04.130. WSR 18-11-052 (Order 18-92), § 220-354-290, filed 5/10/18, effective 6/10/18. Statutory Authority: RCW
77.04.090,
77.04.130,
77.15.568,
77.08.010,
77.65.510,
77.65.515, and
77.65.520. WSR 17-22-100 , § 220-354-290, filed 10/30/17, effective 1/1/18. Statutory Authority: RCW
77.04.012,
77.04.013,
77.04.020,
77.04.055,
77.12.045, and
77.12.047. WSR 17-19-007 (Order 17-234), § 220-354-290, filed 9/7/17, effective 10/8/17. Statutory Authority: RCW
77.04.012,
77.04.013,
77.04.020,
77.04.055, and
77.12.047. WSR 17-05-112 (Order 17-04), amended and recodified as § 220-354-290, filed 2/15/17, effective 3/18/17. Statutory Authority: RCW
77.04.012,
77.04.020,
77.04.055,
77.12.045, and
77.12.047. WSR 16-19-010 (Order 16-239), § 220-36-023, filed 9/8/16, effective 10/9/16; WSR 15-19-086 (Order 15-343), § 220-36-023, filed 9/16/15, effective 10/11/15; WSR 14-20-023 (Order 14-268), § 220-36-023, filed 9/19/14, effective 10/20/14. Statutory Authority: RCW
77.04.020,
77.12.045, and
77.12.047. WSR 13-19-027 (Order 13-227), § 220-36-023, filed 9/9/13, effective 10/10/13; WSR 12-11-093, § 220-36-023, filed 5/18/12, effective 6/18/12; WSR 11-14-003 (Order 11-91), § 220-36-023, filed 6/22/11, effective 7/23/11; WSR 10-12-061 (Order 09-108), § 220-36-023, filed 5/27/10, effective 6/27/10. Statutory Authority: RCW
77.12.047 and
77.04.020. WSR 09-16-125 (Order 09-109), § 220-36-023, filed 8/4/09, effective 9/4/09; WSR 08-15-003 (Order 08-166), § 220-36-023, filed 7/3/08, effective 8/3/08. Statutory Authority: RCW
77.04.020,
77.12.047, and
77.65.200. WSR 07-17-010, § 220-36-023, filed 8/3/07, effective 9/3/07. Statutory Authority: RCW
77.12.047. WSR 05-17-006 (Order 05-167), § 220-36-023, filed 8/3/05, effective 9/3/05; WSR 04-16-013 (Order 04-183), § 220-36-023, filed 7/22/04, effective 8/22/04; WSR 03-18-004 (Order 03-208), § 220-36-023, filed 8/20/03, effective 9/20/03; WSR 01-13-055 (Order 01-104), § 220-36-023, filed 6/15/01, effective 7/16/01; WSR 00-23-065 (Order 00-240), § 220-36-023, filed 11/15/00, effective 12/16/00. Statutory Authority: RCW
75.08.080. WSR 99-24-104 (Order 99-206), § 220-36-023, filed 11/30/99, effective 12/31/99. Statutory Authority: RCW
75.08.080 and
77.12.040. WSR 98-15-081 (Order 98-122), § 220-36-023, filed 7/15/98, effective 8/15/98. Statutory Authority: RCW
75.08.080. WSR 97-15-148 (Order 97-123), § 220-36-023, filed 7/23/97, effective 8/23/97; WSR 96-13-035 (Order 96-77), § 220-36-023, filed 6/11/96, effective 7/12/96; WSR 95-13-065 (Order 95-76), § 220-36-023, filed 6/19/95, effective 7/20/95; WSR 94-13-014 (Order 94-46), § 220-36-023, filed 6/3/94, effective 7/4/94; WSR 93-14-042 (Order 93-54), § 220-36-023, filed 6/29/93, effective 7/30/93; WSR 90-18-023 (Order 90-77), § 220-36-023, filed 8/24/90, effective 9/24/90; WSR 89-16-056 (Order 89-71), § 220-36-023, filed 7/28/89, effective 8/28/89.]
