Skagit fall fishery at a glance

More for creel: gamefish including trout 14 to 20 inches (sea-run cutthroat or and other species). Dolly Varden (longer than 20 inches) and hatchery-origin (marked by clipped adipose fin) steelhead may be kept as part of daily allowed catch for trout.

Salmon fishery ends: Dec. 31.

Throw back: ALL chinook salmon. Any native char (Dolly Varden and bull trout) under 20 inches in length and any wild steelhead also must be released alive and unharmed.

Getting there: drive south on Interstate 5 to Cook Road, Burlington, Mount Vernon or Conway. Public accesses include Conway bridge, (South Fork), Blake's launch (North Fork), Spudhouse launch (just above forks) (WDFW), Young's Bar (West Mount Vernon), Railroad (Johnson's) Bar and Gardner Road ramp (Burlington), spots off the South Skagit Highway east of Highway 9 bridge.

More spots: off Highway 20 east of Sedro-Woolley including Lyman Ferry (WDFW), Pressentin Creek (WDFW), Baker River, Faber's Ferry (WDFW), Howard Miller Steelhead Park (Skagit County Park at Rockport), Barnaby Slough (WDFW), off Rockport-Cascade Road and Marblemount bridge (U.S. Forest Service, Wild and Scenic River).

Must haves: 2008 annual or short-term Washington freshwater or combination fishing license. Plus catch record card for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut.

Main rules: immediately record retention of salmon or steelhead in ink on catch record card. Fish that must be released may not be removed from the water. No night fishing is allowed and terminal tackle must conform to non-buoyant lure restrictions.

Other dos: respect private property rights. Always find out who owns river bank lands and seek their permission to access the river.

Closed waters: the Skagit River from Cascade River to Gorge Powerhouse is closed to salmon fishing but open for gamefish. All other Skagit tributaries are closed to the taking of salmon, but trout fishing continues in them until Oct. 31.

Other details: a large contigent of silvers is expected this fall in the Skagit. The Wildcat Steelhead Club owns an excellent fishing access at Sedro-Woolley open to its members and their guests. Contact Don Collen at 855-2291 for club membership information.

Coming up: The first of the Skagit's host of hatchery-origin winter-run steelhead begin showing around the end of November. While salmon fishing tails off to a Wednesday, Dec. 31, closure, gamefish angling (for steelhead and char) continues well into the new year.