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Hood Canal, a glacier-carved fjord on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, is famous for its fresh shellfish. The wild and scenic Dosewallips and Duckabush rivers feed into Hood Canal. The Brinnon area has bountiful marine life in virtually pristine waters. Page contents (click to jump) : Shrimp Crab Fish Oysters & Clams Regulations & Licenses

Tide Predictions 2007 Hood Canal, Washington State - NOAA 2007 predictions for Quilcene, Quilcene Bay, Dabob Bay, Whitney Point, Pleasant Harbor

SHRIMP

Shrimping is very popular in Brinnon. Unfortunately, shrimping season has become shorter and shorter, and is now reduced to a couple of days per year. Sufficient quota remains in Hood Canal to extend the shrimp season one day, Saturday, June 23, 2007 9:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m.

See Fishin' for shrimp in Hood Canal from gamefishin.com.

The minimum mesh size for shrimp pots is 7/8", two pots per person, no more than four pots on any one boat.

Daily limit of 80 shrimp. Any shrimp caught over the individual fisher limit of 80 may be passed to other licensed fishers on the boat that don’t have their limit. After the boat limit is reached, shrimp must be returned immediately to the water unharmed. Each limit must be kept in a separate container. Fishers may remove and discard the heads from their shrimp while on the water.

CRABS

Crab fishing will open 7:00 a.m. July 4, 2007, Wednesdays through Saturdays, plus the entire Labor Day weekend.

All Puget Sound crab fishers 15 years of age or older must have an annual license. A catch card is required for all See WDFW crab rules for Hood Canal, or call shellfish rules hotline at 866-880-5431, or locally at 360-796-3235. See Puget Sound Sport Crab Fishing home page, complete with video on "Crabbing Basics."

OYSTERS AND CLAMS

• Pt. Whitney: Tidelands Seasons: Clams open 1 March through 15 May. Oysters open year-round.
  Lagoon Seasons: Clams open 15 May through 30 June. Oysters open year-round
  
• Seal Rock Campground: Clams and oysters open - campground season May - September
• Dosewallips State Park: clams April 1 - July 15, oysters open all year

Oyster regulation: Must be 2 1/2 inches, 18 allowed per day, must be shucked on beach, leave shells at the same place and tide height where they where collected.

Clam regulation: Must be 1 1/2 inches, maximum of 40 clams, not to exceed 10 lbs. in the shell, all species combined except Geoducks or Horse Clams.

Harvesting shellfish from anywhere except beaches you own requires a license. Collect only your legal limit and obey seasons and harvesting regulations that apply to certain species. Never harvest shellfish from private beaches without permission from the owner.

Before digging contact Redtide Hotline: 1-800-562-5632.

FISHING

Devil's Lake (12 acres): Two miles south of Quilcene. Last Saturday in April through October 31 open season. This small lake has good fishing for cutthroat up to 11 inches. Access is hike-in only.

See background on cutthroat trout

See Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Background on How To Catch Salmon & The Five Species of Salmon

Gibbs Lake (37 acres): Three miles southwest of Chimacum. Year-round open season. Selective gear rules are in effect for all species, except electric motors are allowed. Trout fishing is catch-and-release only, with standard statewide rules for other species, which include largemouth bass and brown bullhead catfish. Gibbs is also scheduled for a bonus plant of large triploid rainbow trout this year. This lake is under Jefferson County Parks jurisdiction, with limited access and no developed boat launch.

Leland Lake (100 acres): About five miles north of Quilcene on Highway 101. Year-round open season. Good fishing for rainbows up to a foot long, with good largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie fishing during the warm weather and good fall fishing for lunker rainbows. The WDFW access has a paved boat ramp and two toilets.

WDFW says that the yearly Chum run in Hood Canal is over one million fish and that it is underfished by sportfishermen. They are the most abundant wild salmon in the state.

See Hood Canal Chum Salmon Fishing from Puget Sound Anglers. See Brinnon Merchants on where to get local info on fishing, fishing license, tackle and gear. Public boat launch available at Pt. Whitney Shellfish lab and Dosewallips State Park. Marine services and moorage available at Pleasant Harbor Marina.

Both the Dosewallips and Duckabush are considered important rivers for chinook and summer chum salmon habitat. The rivers are currently the focus of intense study and fishing in them is limited. Hatchery Steelhead can be taken in the rivers, some trout in the lakes.

Regulations & Licenses

See WDFW Fishing & Shellfishing Rules

Download the 2006-2007 Fishing in Washington Rule Pamphlet (7 mgs)

For more information, call Point Whitney Shellfish Laboratory for recorded update: 360-796-4601. Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Fishing & Shellfishing Fishing Hotline: 360-902-2500. See WDFW Hood Canal Shellfish Regulations for updates See gamefishin.com for background

Licenses are available at the Brinnon store and Cove R/V Park.

Squid? In the 1970s a huge population of squid appeared off Pt. Whitney. Squid jiggers had a field day, and then the squid - known for their unpredictability - mysteriously disappeared. They may re-appear at anytime and can be found at various places in the Puget Sound. No license is required for squid jigging, and the season is open year-round.

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