Steelhead populations are on the rise in Washington, according to state fish and wildlife managers, and anglers have an opportunity to discuss the health of the fishery, the upcoming fishing season and other management issues during a virtual town hall scheduled for Oct. 23.

“We have seen an increase in steelhead abundance in most coastal Washington rivers in the past year,” said Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) Fish Program Director Kelly Cunningham. “While this is encouraging, we remain committed to conserving coastal steelhead while offering meaningful fishing opportunities in future seasons. Public input plays a crucial role in our management of this important species.” 

The virtual town hall is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Oct. 23.

During the event, state fisheries staff will share information on steelhead management, abundance, 2024-2025 season forecasts, and a 2023-2024 season summary. Potential fishery options will be presented, and fishery proposals from the public will be heard. 

The town hall will also include preliminary data from a one-year study on the Hoh River to determine wild steelhead impacts while fishing from a floating device. The 2023-2024 season marked the first time since 2020 that anglers were allowed to fish from a floating device on the lower and middle sections of the Hoh River, located in the northern Olympic Peninsula. The upper section of the Hoh has been closed to fishing from a floating device since 2016. 

Members of the public can participate in the Oct. 23 meeting through Zoom, online or by phone. Meeting materials and information on fishery management, including past town halls, are available on WDFW’s coastal steelhead webpage. 

Staff will present information about preliminary forecasts to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in an Oct. 21 special Fish Committee meeting. WDFW plans to host a second virtual town hall meeting in November.