Fishing for salmon in Pierce County this season? Keep these new state rules in mind
Calling Pierce County anglers: Parts of Minter Creek are closed to fishing for the 2024-25 season, according to new rules from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
A news release Aug. 26 announced that “all waters within channels created by exposed tidelands are closed to fishing at Minter Creek” for the season.
That means anglers can’t fish in channels formed when the tide goes out. Instead, they have to keep their fishing to the “mainstem of the creek above the high tide line where it is publicly accessible, or in the larger saltwater as the tide floods over the tide flats, filling the bay,” the release said.
Salmon fishing is permitted from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024 from the mouth of the creek at Carr Inlet to areas marked about 50 feet downstream of the Minter Creek Hatchery rack, according to the news release. Anglers should avoid trespassing on private tidelands.
“Public access along Minter Creek below the Creviston Drive bridge is now limited, as most of the area consists of privately owned tidelands,” Lt. Kit Rosenberger said in the news release.
Rosenberger told The News Tribune the reason for the closure is that folks were routinely fishing illegally during the low tide cycle of the creek. When the tide is low, narrow channels are left running through the mud flats and can get so shallow that the backs of fish are exposed as they swim through.
“As salmon are navigating these really shallow waters, they’re really susceptible to predation,” Rosenberger said.
Many anglers were targeting fish in these channels and fish were being snagged unlawfully, instead of lawfully hooked in the mouth, according to Rosenberger. Among the fish that were caught legally, there was a higher association with post-release mortality and other adverse impacts to their ability to reproduce.
Rosenberger said the regulation for Minter Creek was based on language in regulations made for other river systems including Gorst Creek, Chico Creek and rivers connected to Hood Canal.
The rules are subject to change. Anglers can check the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website or the Fish Washington mobile app for the latest updates.
The maximum catch at Minter Creek is six salmon per day, each at least 12 inches in size. That can include up to four adult salmon, including a maximum of two Chinook, two coho, or one of each. Anglers must release any wild coho they catch, according to the news release.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comments from WDFW about the reason for the new regulations.
This story was originally published August 26, 2024 at 1:33 PM.
