Contact Information
Olympia Headquarters Office
Natural Resources Building
1111 Washington Street SE
Olympia, WA 98501
Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
PO Box 43200
Olympia, WA 98504-3200
Fish Program Statewide Customer Service - (360) 902-2700
(8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday)
For fishing regulation questions, e-mail: [email protected]
For all other questions or comments, e-mail: [email protected]
Other WDFW Customer Service
WDFW Licensing - (360) 902-2464
WDFW Wildlife - (360) 902-2515
WDFW Habitat - (360) 902-2534
WDFW Enforcement - (360) 902-2936
Hotline Numbers
Fishing Emergency Regulation Hotline - (360) 902-2500
Shellfish Rule Change toll-free Hotline - (866) 880-5431
Department of Health Contact Information
To check on Contaminants in Fish Advisories - (877) 485-7316
To check on Shellfish Advisories (Marine Toxins/PSP) - (800) 562-5632
or www.doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety
Regional Offices
(8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday)
Region 1 - Spokane - (509) 892-1001
2315 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, WA 99216-1566
Region 2 - Ephrata - (509) 754-4624
1550 Alder St. NW, Ephrata, WA 98823-9699
District Office - Wenatchee - (509) 662-0452
3860 Hwy. 97A, Wenatchee, WA 98801-9607
Region 3 - Yakima - (509) 575-2740
1701 S 24th Ave., Yakima, WA 98902-5720
Region 4 - Mill Creek - (425) 775-1311
16018 Mill Creek Blvd., Mill Creek, WA 98012-1541
Region 5 - Ridgefield - (360) 696-6211
5525 S 11th Street, Ridgefield, WA 98642
Region 6 - Montesano - (360) 249-4628
48 Devonshire Road, Montesano, WA 98563-9618
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission:
Barbara Baker, Chair, Olympia
(Western Washington, Thurston County)
Molly Linville, Vice Chair, Palisades
(Eastern Washington position, Douglas County)
James “Jim” Anderson, Buckley
(At-large position, Pierce County)
John Lehmkuhl, Ph.D., Wenatchee
(Eastern Washington position, Chelan County)
Woodrow "Woody" Myers, (Eastern Washington position, Spokane County)
Steve Parker, Zillah (Eastern Washington position, Yakima County)
Tim Ragen, Ph.D., Anacortes
(Western Washington position, Skagit County)
Melanie Rowland, J.D., Twisp
(At-Large position, Okanogan County)
Lorna Smith, (Western Washington position, Jefferson County)
Kelly Susewind, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Director
Kelly Cunningham, Director, Fish Program
WDFW Enforcement
For non-emergency violations/poaching: Call WDFW toll-free 1-877-933-9847 (1-877-WDFW-TIP). See Statewide General Rules for more details.
To report commercial derelict fishing gear: Call toll-free (855) 542-3935
To report fish kills, oil or hazardous material spills, contact Department of Emergency Management: (800) 258-5990
Stop the Spread of Invasive Northern Pike
How To Identify Northern Pike
- Yellow bean-shaped spots
- Yellow-green to gray-green body
- Rounded tail fork
- Scales on cheeks and upper half of gill cover
- 4 to 5 jaw pores
Do not move live Northern Pike
The penalty for moving live Northern Pike includes up to a $5,000 fine and a year in prison (RCW 77.15.250). A person found guilty can also be ordered to pay all costs of capturing, controlling or killing those fish or their progeny (in excess of $100,000).
If you see someone transporting or releasing live fish, please call the Washington State Patrol.
If caught DO NOT RELEASE
Northern Pike are a prohibited species in Washington state. Anglers should kill ALL Northern Pike they catch. Harvested Northern Pike must be dead before anglers leave the water where they are caught.
How To Report
Take detailed photos, record the location and report a sighting.
Phone: 1.888.WDFW.AIS (1.888.933.9247)
Online:
App: WA invasives
Get The Lead Out
Lead is a toxic metal that has adverse effects on the nervous and reproductive systems of animals. Commonly found in fishing weights and lures, this metal is poisoning wildlife such as loons and eagles.
Many anglers are now using fishing tackle made from non-toxic materials such as tin, bismuth, steel, and tungsten. As lead alternatives are becoming more available, WDFW encourages anglers to try them to help protect our fish, wildlife, and fragile ecosystems.
Non-toxic alternatives:
Tungsten, bismuth, steel, tin, glass, stone, metal composite
Be Whale Wise
Underwater transducers, such as depth finders, can overlap with echolocation frequencies that Southern Resident killer whales use to find food, communicate, and travel through Washington’s waters. In areas where Southern Residents may be present, set your depth finder to 200 kHz frequency or temporarily turn it off.
Learn more at:
http://www.bewhalewise.org
Derelict Fishing Gear
Report lost or abandoned commercial nets or pots
There are no penalties associated with reporting lost commercial fishing gear.
The Derelict Fishing Gear Removal Project is a no-fault program. The goals are simply to remove lost and abandoned commercial gear, to help restore Puget Sound, to improve public safety, and to assist species recovery.
Nets are dangerous! Never attempt to remove them. Divers, stay a safe distance away.
Still Fishing After All These Years
Lost and abandoned commercial fishing gear continues to fish, impacting marine animals and destroying their habitat, entangling divers, and damaging propellers and rudders of boats.
What’s being done?
Federal, state, tribal, and local governments, NGOs, and grassroots organizations and individuals are collaborating to protect and restore Washington marine resources by locating and removing harmful commercial derelict fishing gear.
How can you help?
Record as much information as you can when you find commercial derelict gear, including:
- Date of sighting
- Type of gear
- Approximate water depth
- General location
- Latitude (example 48.34333)
- Longitude (example -123.00333)
You can report this information to:
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
(Toll Free) 855-542-3935
Northwest Straits Marine Conservative Initiative
360-733-1725 or go to
