A version of this article was originally published by Northwest Northwest Treaty Tribes. Additional WDFW perspectives are included below. We appreciate our co-managers for their work on Baker sockeye as well as collaboration on this story. A record number of Baker River sockeye are making their way upriver this year. The sockeye co-managers — consisting of the Upper Skagit and Swinomish tribes and the…

The following highlights are excerpted from our July/August European Green Crab Public Update. European Green Crab Incident Command objectives continue to include reduction of EGC populations to below levels harmful to environmental, economic, or cultural resources. More information is available on our European green crab species webpage. …

On the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 29, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Sergeant McQuary and Officer Way were on a land patrol near the Bonneville Dam when they overheard Skamania County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Dispatch report a capsized vessel on the Columbia River outside of Drano Lake. The…

Every day in the national and state news, there is evidence of how climate change is impacting our lives. June and July were the two hottest months in human history, water temperatures in Florida hit triple digits, and the wildfires in Hawaii are responsible for the death of more than…

The 21 pound, 48-inch-long fish — also known as dolphinfish or dorado — was caught 42 miles off the Washington coast by angler Wade La Fontaine on Aug. 25. Wade La Fontaine is an avid saltwater angler who has been going on trips off the Washington coast for more than…

Last spring, WDFW teamed up with the Washington Invasive Species Council to host an art contest where high school students were asked to submit original digital designs depicting information on invasive species, how they spread, and the Department’s invasive mussel-sniffing dogs, Fin and Puddles.

The Department manages the public fishing pier also known as Pier 86 — which has been closed since 2016 due to structural concerns — at the Port of Seattle’s Centennial Park. — The following blog post is excerpted from the Port of Seattle’s news release, with additional detail added on WDFW’s public fishing piers. For more information please visit this Downtown Seattle Association webpage. “We’re thrilled at the prospect of revitalizing the Elliott Bay Fishing Pier, which has served as a community…

Fishers can catch Dungeness and red rock crabs along the coast year-round from Neah Bay to the Columbia River. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has a newly formed Coastal Recreational Crab Monitoring Program tasked with developing enhanced monitoring and field activities for coastal crab spanning from Neah…

Navigating one of the world’s most complex fishery processes — By Kelly Cunningham, WDFW Fish Program Director The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) knows anglers look forward to the state’s salmon fishing seasons every year, with many planning trips months in advance. …