Reduce populations of nonnative predatory fish species that prey upon or compete with Chinook.

Action 1

Adjust game fish regulations and remove catch and size limits on nonnative predatory fish including walleye, bass, and channel catfish, to protect salmon.

Action 2

Evaluate predatory fish reduction options in McNary Dam reservoir to protect juvenile salmon.

• The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife should remove catch and size limits on nonnative predatory fish including walleye, bass, and channel catfish, to protect salmon and other Endangered Species Act-listed species. The department also should adapt regulations to allow the disposal of these fish because it is illegal to “waste” sport fish. Any increase in fishing for these species should be managed to minimize additional deaths or accidental catching of salmon species.
• The Governor’s budget should include funding for the next 3 years to support a proposed study that looks at how changes in the height of the water in the McNary Dam reservoir affects predatory fish spawning.

• In 2019, the Legislature passed a law which directed the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to adopt rules to increase catch limits for bass, walleye, and channel catfish due to their predation on young salmon.
• In December 2019, the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission directed the Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop rules for management of nonnative gamefish statewide and a draft version of the policy went into effect in summer 2020. The Non-Native Gamefish and Fishery Policy was adopted in December 2021.
• The Washington Invasive Species Council was reauthorized to continue and is supporting statewide invasive species identification and eradication work around the state.
• The Legislature has funded efforts to manage and prevent aquatic invasive species, with a focus on green crab and northern pike, both harmful to salmon recovery efforts. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife received funding to prevent northern pike at Lake Roosevelt from moving further downstream into the Columbia River. The department is using suppression, eradication, and monitoring to manager northern pike.
• The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sampled some predation areas where salmon were getting eaten in spring 2024. Work will continue in the next few years to develop methods for estimating predator abundance in the Columbia River. The department also will be developing a model to estimate prey consumption rates of bass and walleye on juvenile salmonids.

More details may be found in the progress reports in the resources library.