News Release

Emergency Closure of Recreational Fishing in the Quillayute River System of Olympic National Park to Begin on July 15

Date: July 14, 2023
Contact: Public Affairs Office, 365-565-3005

To protect salmon populations in the Quillayute River system, an emergency closure of recreational fishing will begin on July 15 at 12:01 am. The following river systems within Olympic National Park will close to all recreational fishing until further notice: Quillayute, Dickey, Bogachiel, South Fork Calawah, Sol Duc, and North Fork Sol Duc Rivers and their tributaries. The rule change to close the entire Quillayute River system is based on existing low-water conditions coupled with salmon returns that appear to be well below the preseason forecast.

The closure of park waters is consistent with existing closures of commercial gill-net and sport fisheries throughout Quillaytue River system. All mountain lakes in the park remain open to recreational fishing. Olympic National Park sport fishing regulations for 2023-2024 are available on the park’s website at https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/fishing.htm and anglers are encouraged to visit the website for future updates.