Winter steelhead fisheries on the Willapa and Naselle rivers are forecast to be the best in the state.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife held the first of two town halls on Oct. 23 to provide an update on the season outlook. Another meeting is tentatively set for Nov. 13.

The wild steelhead run size on the Willapa was forecast to be 4,085 in 2023-24 — the actual run reached 4,945 — and the forecast return for 2024-25 is 4,923.

Steelhead are a variety of seagoing trout with a fanatical following among recreational fishermen.

According to the presentation, last season’s hatchery return hit 1,257. The five-year average return is 1,545, and the five-year hatchery catch average is 271.

“In the past several years we have had a positive trend with our wild steelhead that are returning,” WDFW Region Biologist Erin Witkop said. “In particular, the last two years, the returns have been above our escapement goal.”

The abundance of hatchery fish has resulted in WDFW tentatively considering less restrictive rules for the month of December on the Willapa and Naselle rivers. The two rivers usually fall under barbless hooks and selective gear rules throughout the season.

“We are proposing that on the Willapa and Naselle rivers, those two hatchery systems … to allow the use of bait in the month of December only,” Witkop said. “We targeted that window because that is a time where many hatchery fish are returning, and few wild fish are in the system.”

“So, this could be a time where we could increase hatchery harvest in order to combat high levels of gene flow that we have been observing, levels that are above our statewide steelhead management plan goal of 2%,” Witkop added. WDFW endeavors to avoid crossover between the genes of wild and hatchery steelhead.

The rest of the area would be subject to barbless hooks and selective gear rules throughout the season, which ends on March 31, 2025.

“On the Willapa River hatchery system, we want to capitalize on the opportunity to get at those hatchery fish in the month of December during their return timing,” WDFW Fishery Program Director Kelly Cunningham said.

Rules for the 2024-25 sport fishery are expected to be finalized by the end of November.