News Release

Remember Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area Rules During June 15 Sturgeon Fishery Opening

Date: June 11, 2019
Contact: Denise Bausch, 509-754-7830

With the third year of a white sturgeon fishing season opening June 15, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area staff remind anglers of park rules.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recently announced a harvest fishery for white sturgeon, starting June 15 until further notice, in Lake Roosevelt from Grand Coulee Dam to China Bend Boat Ramp, including the Spokane River from Highway 25 Bridge upstream to 400 feet below Little Falls Dam, Colville River upstream to Meyers Falls, and the Kettle River upstream to Barstow Bridge.  (See the rule change at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=2301.)

The daily limit is one sturgeon and the annual limit is two sturgeon. Only sturgeon between 53 and 63 inches fork length (from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail) can be retained. WDFW regulations require anglers to bring retained whole sturgeon to shore prior to cleaning to allow checks for compliance with the slot size limit rule.

As a reminder, Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations 2.14(a)(7) prohibit disposing of fish remains on land or in waters within 200 feet of boat docks or swimming beaches, or within developed areas. Sturgeon carcasses can be disposed in deep water more than 200 feet from shore facilities.

Sturgeon anglers cannot use Lake Roosevelt’s on-site fish cleaning stations because they were not designed to handle the skeletal mass and boney plates of the white sturgeon. Fish cleaning stations located throughout Lake Roosevelt are designed for the softer bones of fish species such as trout, kokanee, bass, and walleye.

In addition to state licensing requirements for charter boats and fishing guides (see https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/commercial/fishing-charter-guide-requirements), anyone interested in providing fishing guide services within the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area must have a Commercial Use Authorization (CUA).  CUA applications take a minimum of 30 days to process; details are available at: https://www.nps.gov/laro/getinvolved/dobusinesswithus.htm.

During the 2017 and 2018 white sturgeon fishing seasons, the park saw a sharp increase in boaters using boat launches and parking lots. Vehicles and trailers must not be driven or parked off-road, nor parked on any park or campground road.  Vehicles blocking traffic may be towed. Parking in unoccupied campsites is also not allowed unless the camping fee has been paid for that site. Please remember that there will be rolling closures of boat launches and campgrounds beginning July 8^th so that the Federal Highways Administration can complete the scheduled paving project at Lake Roosevelt.

“We appreciate sturgeon anglers helping us protect the natural and cultural resources in the park and providing a safe environment for others,” said Dan Foster, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area Superintendent.