December 30, 2019 — Limits on bass and walleye fishing — alongside other warmwater species — were liberalized by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission on Saturday.
New rules, going into effect mid-February, remove size limits and daily limits on rivers and streams throughout the state.
The rules also double the daily limits for most species on 77 lakes throughout Washington, said Steve Caromile, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s warmwater fish program manager.
The changes are in response to new legislation aimed at increasing chinook survival in hopes of helping struggling orca populations in the Puget Sound.
Bass and walleye eat salmon smolts, although to what extent they impact the migrating fish is disputed.
Initially, WDFW officials proposed removing bag limits statewide, but the commission directed them to narrow their proposal.