Skagit River Steelhead Season in Doubt, Lack of State Funding to Blame

BLAINE, Wash. — The Skagit River steelhead season may not open in 2026 with the Nooksack River already closed under an emergency rule. It’s not due to fish disappearing, it’s due to a complete lack of political leadership by elected legislators in Whatcom and Skagit Counties as our rivers aren’t made a priority in Olympia.

Female steelhead lay ready for Kendall Hatchery staff to extract eggs on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. The fish are cut specifically so WDFW field biologists know not to count them in their daily fish counts when the carcasses are discarded.

It gets difficult to argue to appropriately fund the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, when flood mitigation for upper river communities like Sumas or Everson go ignored.

The good news this week though are dozens of steelhead and coho at Kendall Hatchery after days of high water on the Nooksack.

Preseason forecasts suggest returns in the Skagit Basin that would normally support a limited fishery. However, no season has been authorized. On the Nooksack, state managers have formally shut down fishing due to low returns and unmet hatchery broodstock goals.

Skagit River season not authorized

The WDFW has not announced a winter or spring steelhead opener for the Skagit river in 2026.

Kendall Hatchery staff prepare coho to extract eggs and sperm for fertilization on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

Preseason forecasts estimate about 4,557 wild steelhead returning to the basin this year. In past seasons, similar forecasts have supported limited fisheries under emergency rules, with mandatory release of wild fish and retention allowed only for hatchery steelhead.

This year, no emergency rule has been issued to authorize a season.

Under federal Endangered Species Act requirements, Puget Sound steelhead fisheries must be supported by in-season monitoring to ensure escapement goals are met and fishing impacts remain within permitted limits. That monitoring includes population surveys, creel sampling, and real-time run tracking.

Without that infrastructure in place, managers cannot legally justify opening a season, regardless of visible fish presence or preseason forecasts.

Nooksack River closed under emergency rule

Unlike the Skagit, the Nooksack River is officially closed.

WDFW adopted Emergency Rule WSR 25-24-050, which closed steelhead fishing on all forks of the Nooksack River effective Dec. 1, 2025. The rule also closed all fishing in the system beginning Jan. 1, 2026, unless modified by a later action.

According to the agency’s findings, hatchery steelhead returns in 2024 failed to meet broodstock goals. The 2025 to 2026 forecast is approximately 41 hatchery fish, far below the 160-fish broodstock target.

Today, hatchery staff counted 13 female steelhead and about the same number of males along with late season coho.

Hatchery sightings add context, hope during high water

Kendall Hatchery reported seeing dozens of steelhead holding in the raceways, sharing the pictures with PNW Daily. While those sightings indicate that fish are present in the system, they do not indicate whether the forecast will be exceeded.

Steelhead evolved in river systems shaped by winter flooding, high flows, and shifting gravel beds. Variable hydrology is a normal part of their life cycle and often plays a role in triggering upstream migration and shaping spawning habitat.

A close up look at freshly captured steelhead eggs

High water, however, complicates scientific monitoring.

Turbidity and flooding make redd counts, sonar surveys, and escapement estimates more difficult. Those data streams are required to confirm how many fish successfully spawn and how angling pressure affects survival.

For ESA-listed stocks, that information is not optional. It is the foundation of every fishery decision.

Why seeing fish does not mean a season will open

Seeing steelhead at a hatchery or staging in a river does not show how many fish will reach spawning habitat or whether escapement targets will be met.

Fishery managers must demonstrate that a season will not reduce spawning populations below required thresholds. That determination is made using real-time data, not visual observation alone.

This is why some years with strong returns still see closures, while other years with modest returns may open under strict rules.

What anglers should know

Skagit River steelhead fishing is not currently scheduled to open in 2026. No emergency rule has been issued.

The Nooksack River is closed under an emergency rule due to extremely low returns and unmet broodstock needs.

Puget Sound steelhead seasons are governed by emergency rules, not by the printed pamphlet alone.

Anglers should check the Fish Washington app or the WDFW emergency rule page before fishing.

What comes next

WDFW may still issue emergency rule changes later this winter or spring if conditions change. That could include revised forecasts, restored monitoring capacity, or updated co-manager agreements.

For now, visible steelhead at hatcheries do not translate into legal fishing opportunities.

PNW Daily will continue tracking run data, emergency rules, and agency updates throughout the season.