WET A LINE or visit a state park on the state’s dime this weekend.
No fishing license is needed to take part in the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Free Fishing Weekend on Saturday and Sunday.
While no licenses are required on Free Fishing Weekend, rules such as size limits, bag limits, catch record card requirements and area closures will still be in effect.
The catch record card requirement includes halibut as a $5.50 fee. That fee can be paid wherever you purchase a fishing license.
Open halibut dates this week include today and Sunday, along with Tuesday and Thursday and every other day through June 29.
Anglers participating in the Free Fishing Weekend can also win prizes in the department’s 2020 Trout Fishing Derby and redeem blue tags from trout caught over the weekend.
Jefferson County lakes with tagged fish include Lake Leland, Sandy Shore, Silent and Tarboo. No Clallam County lakes offer these tagged derby trout. For more information on the trout derby, including a statewide list of lakes, visit tinyurl.com/PDN-Derby Trout.
State Parks offer free entry Saturday in recognition of National Trails Day and Sunday as part of the Free Fishing Weekend.
No Discover Pass is required on Fish and Wildlife or state park land either day.
A Discover Pass is required on lands managed by the state Department of Natural Resources.
Before heading out, check to ensure you will be fishing on an open body of water and in an open season by reading the state’s electronic fishing regulations at tinyurl.com/PDN-FishRegs.
Shellfish harvest
Most beaches in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca are scheduled to open for recreational clam, mussel and oyster harvest Monday, while other areas will open later in the summer as previously planned.
Opening this year has taken longer than expected due to COVID-19-related challenges and public health considerations, said Camille Speck, Puget Sound intertidal bivalve manager.
“It took a lot of coordination, but we are happy to have found a way to work with communities and access managers to provide harvest opportunity and the enjoyment that comes from a day out on the beach,” Speck said. “We are also happy to announce some season shifts and extensions on a number of beaches to help make up for opportunity lost during the unprecedented coronavirus closures.”
Speck said the approved dates are the result of a conscious effort to offer shellfish digs while following public health recommendations such as keeping harvesters distributed, allowing for physical distancing, limiting travel and discouraging overnight stays.
She asks harvesters to be nice to each other and cooperate to reduce risks.
“Patience and courtesy will be needed at public access sites,” Speck said.
She noted some popular parks are operating with reduced staffing and may have parking limitations and encouraged harvesters to check for current conditions at the park or beach they intend to visit and follow physical distancing guidelines.
Current health advisories and closures are available at www.doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety.
To make up for opportunity lost during the coronavirus-related closure, the following changes and extensions to the 2020 Puget Sound clam, mussel and oyster seasons on the North Olympic Peninsula have been made:
• Sequim Bay State Park: Clams, mussels and oysters open Monday and the season is extended by two weeks to close July 15.
• Dosewallips State Park: opens Monday for clam, mussel and oyster harvest. Clams and mussels close Sept. 30. Oysters remain open through Dec. 31.
• Point Whitney Tidelands and Point Whitney Lagoon: opens Monday for clam, mussel and oyster harvest. Clams and mussels close June 30. Oysters remain open through Aug. 31.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-406-0674 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
