Recreational fishing restricted in Olympic National Park amid drought conditions
Those looking to go fishing in Olympic National Park are now facing indefinite closures.
The National Park Service announced emergency closures of recreational fishing in most rivers and streams on Wednesday to protect several fish populations. The decision came as river flows have reached or neared historic low levels due to a lack of rain.
Western Washington has felt above average temperatures through September and into early October, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle. Highs in the Olympia area could reach 80 this weekend. Meanwhile, the NWS indicates Port Angeles will see mostly sunny days with highs in the 60s through Sunday.
Though it may be foggy and cloudy in the mornings, there’s no rain in the forecast.
While the weather may be nice for people, the low water levels in streams and rivers create challenges for fish.
The National Park Service says the conditions may limit upstream spawning migrations. They also may cause salmonids to concentrate in smaller and smaller pools, making them more vulnerable.
The closure will be in effect until further notice. Specifically, they should help protect Pacific salmon, steelhead trout and federally threatened bull trout in Olympic National Park, according to the National Park Service.
Many river systems will be affected by the recreational fishing ban, including:
- Ozette
- Bogachiel
- South Fork Calawah
- Sol Duc
- North Fork Sol Duc
- Dickey
- Quillayute
- Hoh
- South Fork Hoh
- Queets
- Salmon
- Quinault Rivers (including East Fork, North Fork, Main Stem)
The following creeks also will be closed to recreation fishing:
- Cedar
- Goodman
- Kalaloch
- Mosquito
This story was originally published October 6, 2022 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Recreational fishing restricted in Olympic National Park amid drought conditions."
