For many anglers, “opening day” is synonymous with the start of the lowland lakes trout-fishing season, which gets under way April 26 this year. Hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians typically descend on trout-stocked lakes to kick off the state’s biggest outdoor event.

To prepare for the upcoming season, hatchery crews from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have been working since last year to stock more than 16 million fish in hundreds of lakes throughout the state. Anglers can find how many went where at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/plants/statewide/.

But anglers – and hunters, too – are also looking forward to a variety of other “opening days” this month for outdoor adventures ranging from razor clam digs on ocean beaches to turkey hunting in fields throughout the state. In addition, several Washington communities are hosting festivals this month to mark the seasonal migration of waterfowl and shorebirds.

“April really marks the start of the new year for fishing, hunting, and a wide range of outdoor activities,” said Joe Stohr, WDFW deputy director. “The annual cycle is beginning again and a lot of us are glad to see it arrive.”

For most people, a valid 2014-15 fishing or hunting license will be required to participate in those activities after March 31, when all 2013-14 licenses expire. The exception is young people under age 15, who can fish for free.

Licenses and permits are avaiIable online (https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/), by phone (1-866-246-9453) and from sporting goods stores and other retail license dealers around the state. A list of license vendors (http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/vendors/) is available online and from local WDFW offices around the state.

Key dates to keep in mind in April include:

April 1 – Several dozen lakes in the Columbia Basin open to fishing.
April 4-6 –The first Olympic Peninsula BirdFest takes place in Sequim near the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
April 5-6 – A two-day spring turkey hunt for hunters age 15 and younger is scheduled statewide.
April 14-20 – A seven-day morning razor clam dig is tentatively scheduled on various ocean beaches. For details, see WDFW’s razor clam webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/current.html.
April 15 – The general spring turkey hunt opens for hunters of all ages and runs through May 31. See WDFW’s Washington Wild Turkey Spring Season pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/ for more information.
April 16 – Lingcod fishing season opens in the Neah Bay area (Marine Area 4).
April 25-27 – The Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival, based in Hoquiam, celebrates shorebirds. For information, see http://www.shorebirdfestival.com/.
April 26 – Hundreds of lakes open to trout fishing across the state for the biggest “opening day” of the year.
South Sound/Olympic Peninsula
(Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, Thurston and Pacific counties)

Fishing: Spring has sprung throughout the region, bringing with it a range of fishing opportunities from razor clams and lingcod to steelhead and trout.

This year’s razor clam season is shaping up to be a record-breaker with most diggers taking their allotted 15 clams per day, said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. The clams are not only more abundant, but also bigger than usual, he said.

“Clams are averaging 4¾ inches in size, and there are plenty of six-inch sized clams out there,” Ayres said. “We’ve had really good digging conditions.”

Morning digs are scheduled April 1-3 at both Twin Harbors and Long Beach. More razor clam digs have been tentatively scheduled in mid-April at multiple beaches. For the latest information on digs, check WDFW’s razor clam webpage.

Long Beach will host its annual razor clam festival April 19 and 20. WDFW has scheduled digs for those dates, but is waiting on marine toxin test-results to finalize those digs. The Long Beach festival includes razor clam digging lessons, a chowder taste-off, clam fritter cookout and other entertainment. For more information, visit the festival website.

At Sequim Bay State Park, clam season gets under way one month early, beginning April 1. You can dig for Manilla, butter or other intertidal clams. However, sport clam and oyster seasons have delayed in several areas where the seasons typically start April 1. Those areas include Potlatch State Park, Potlatch DNR Tidelands, Oyster Reserves of North Bay and South Indian Island County Park. WDFW has a public clam and oyster beaches database with the latest information on openings.

Lingcod fishing is currently open in marine areas 1-3 under rules described in the Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet. Lingcod fishing season opens April 16 in the Neah Bay area (Marine Area 4).

Anglers looking to hook a wild steelhead could be in luck as long as river levels in the northern peninsula remain low enough to be fished, said Mike Gross, a WDFW fish biologist for the region.

“Earlier this year, the rivers often ran too high to fish,” Gross said. “As they’ve dropped, we’ve seen some good fishing.”

Steelhead fishing closes April 15 on the Hoh, Quinault and Clearwater rivers and April 30 for the Quillayute, Dickey, Bogachiel, Calawah and Sol Duc. These are the only eight rivers in Washington where wild steelhead can be retained, and anglers are limited to one wild steelhead per license year.

For hatchery steelhead, the Skookumchuck River is a good bet in April, said Mike Scharpf, a regional fish biologist for WDFW. He also recommends several lakes for trout, which WDFW is now planting throughout the state. The general public should try Lake Sylvia for trout fishing, Scharpf said. The lake, which is open year-round, will be stocked with about 1,000 trout in April.

American Lake in Pierce County is another good spot for trout, said Larry Phillips, a regional fish biologist. Early opportunities for trout in Thurston County include Black and St. Clair lakes.

WDFW crews will stock Vance Creek Pond #1 (Bowers Lake) in time for spring break, April 5-13, Scharpf noted. The pond will be open to youth (14 years and younger) and senior (70 years old and over) anglers as well as anglers with disability status through WDFW or those who have a designated harvester card.

Meanwhile, this month is anglers’ last chance to hook a blackmouth salmon in several areas of Puget Sound. Anglers have until April 10 to fish for chinook in marine areas 5 (Seiku) and 6 (eastern Strait) and until April 15 in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet). Areas 7, 11 and 12 are open until April 30.

Anglers fishing in marine areas 5, 7, 9 and 13 have a limit of one salmon daily while those fishing in areas 6, 11 and 12 can keep two salmon daily. Wild salmon must be released in all areas.

Prefer shellfish? Puget Sound’s spot shrimp season is also set to begin May 3. Details on the upcoming shrimp season are available on WDFW’s Recreational Shrimp Fishing website.

Hunting: The spring wild turkey season runs April 15 through May 31 around the state. The general season follows a special hunt April 5-6 for people age 15 and younger. For more information, check out the Wild Turkey Spring Season pamphlet.

Wildlife viewing: Migratory birds are returning to Washington state, drawing birders to festivals throughout the state. Two are scheduled here in the northwest region.

The first, the Olympic Peninsula BirdFest, runs April 4-6 and takes place in Sequim along the bays, estuaries and beaches near the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The annual event is sponsored by the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society, Dungeness River Audubon Center and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. Activities include birding field trips to Neah and Dungeness bays, nature photography and art workshops. Learn more about the birdfest at the event’s website: http://www.olympicbirdfest.org/.

Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival will be held April 25-27 in Hoquiam. Hosted by Grays Harbor Audubon Society, Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge and the City of Hoquiam, the annual festival includes field trips, lectures a keynote speaker and a nature fun fair for kids. More information on this event can be found on the festival’s website: http://www.shorebirdfestival.com/.
Southwest Washington
(Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Lewis, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties)

Fishing: April begins as catch rates for spring chinook salmon are picking up on the lower Columbia River and ends with the opening of some of the region’s most popular trout-fishing lakes. The Dalles and John Day pools are also open for catch-and-keep sturgeon fishing this month until the catch reaches annual quotas for those waters.

Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon recently extended the Columbia River spring chinook fishery through April 14, after early catch levels fell far short of expectations. There will, however be a one-day closure April 8 to accommodate a possible commercial fishery.

“Fishing conditions have been pretty rough in recent weeks,” said Ron Roler, Columbia River policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “These extra fishing days will give anglers some time to make up for the high, turbid river conditions that have held the sport catch well below the harvest guideline.”

Roler noted that fishery managers will continue to monitor the mainstem Columbia spring chinook sport fishery catches, and recommends that anglers check the WDFW website or Fishing Hotline (360-902-2500) for any updates.

Based on pre-season projections, 308,000 adult “springers” are expected to return to the big river this year, including 227,000 upriver fish bound for rivers and streams above Bonneville Dam. By comparison, just 123,100 upriver fish returned last year.

Initial seasons set by fishery managers from Washington and Oregon are as follows:

Below Bonneville Dam: Open through April 7 to boat and bank fishing from Buoy 10 upstream to Beacon Rock. Bank fishing is allowed from Beacon Rock upriver to the fishing boundary just below the dam. The sport fishery will be closed Tuesday, April 1 to allow for a potential commercial fishery. The adult daily catch limit is two adipose fin-clipped salmon or steelhead in combination, of which no more than one may be a chinook.
Above Bonneville Dam: Open daily through May 9 to boat and bank anglers between the Tower Island power lines and the Washington/Oregon state line, 17 miles above McNary Dam. Bank anglers can also fish from Bonneville Dam upriver to the Tower Island powerlines during that time. As in the area below the dam, the daily catch limit is two adipose fin-clipped adult salmon or steelhead in combination, of which no more than one may be a chinook.
Barbless hooks are required in both areas, and anglers must release any salmon or steelhead not visibly marked as a hatchery fish by a clipped adipose fin.

Under this year’s initial catch guidelines, anglers fishing below the dam are allowed to catch up to 12,400 spring chinook before an updated run forecast is released in late April or early May. Another 1,325 adult upriver chinook are reserved for anglers fishing between Bonneville Dam and the Washington/Oregon state line.

To guard against overestimating this year’s run, the states are again managing the fisheries with a 30 percent buffer until the forecast is updated with information about actual returns.

Meanwhile, the Cowlitz River and Drano Lake are open to fishing for salmon and steelhead under rules described in the Fish Washington rules pamphlet, and more will be opening during the month. Anglers fishing the Cowlitz during the last week in March caught just one spring chinook, but took home 140 hatchery steelhead.

Other tributaries opening to fishing for salmon and steelhead this month include the:

Wind River, which opens April 1 under emergency rules for hatchery chinook salmon and hatchery steelhead from the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge upstream to 400 feet below Shipherd Falls. Waters downriver from the bridge to the mouth opened to fishing for salmon and steelhead in mid-March.
Klickitat River, which opens April 2 for hatchery salmon and hatchery steelhead from the mouth to the Fisher Hill Bridge under the same rules and limits as last year.
Lower portion of the East Fork Lewis River and the lower portion of the Washougal River, which open April 16 for hatchery steelhead fishing under rules described in the Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet.
Additional rules are currently in place that require anglers to:

Release all chinook on the Kalama River from the mouth upstream to the upper hatchery (Kalama Falls Hatchery) until further notice. This area remains open for hatchery steelhead.
Release all chinook on the mainstem and North Fork Lewis River until further notice. In addition, the North Fork Lewis River is closed to all fishing from Johnson Creek – located downstream from the Lewis River Salmon Hatchery – upstream to Merwin Dam through May 31.
Rather catch sturgeon? Retention fishing is now closed from The Dalles Dam downstream, but anglers can still catch and keep one white sturgeon per day in The Dalles and John Day pools. Legal fish measure 43 inches to 54 inches, fork-length. Each fishery will end when its quota is met, so check the Emergency Rules website for updates before you head out.

Another option is trout fishing, which hits full throttle April 26 when several hundred lowland lakes throughout the state open for business. Although most lakes in southwest Washington are open year-round, “opening day” does mark the opening of such perennial favorites as Mineral Lake, Fort Borst Park Pond, Carlisle Lake, Davis Lake, and Plummer Lake in Lewis County; Kidney Lake in Skamania County; and the Rowland Lakes, Spearfish and Horsethief Lake in Klickitat County.

One change this year is that Swift Reservoir will not open until the first Saturday in June, as noted in the fishing pamphlet. The later opening is designed to protect downstream migrating salmon and steelhead smolts, which are part of an ongoing reintroduction program under re-licensing agreements with PacifiCorp.

In other waters, WDFW will continue to plant thousands of catchable trout in Clark County lakes, including Klineline Pond, Battleground Lake and Lacamas Lake. Three lakes in Cowlitz County – Sacajawea, Kress, and Silver Lakes – will also receive plants of rainbow trout, as will three lakes in Skamania County – Icehouse, Little Ash, and Tunnel Lakes. Swift Power Canal will be planted prior to the opener on April 26.

To accommodate a fishing event for kids with special needs, Klineline Park in Vancouver will be closed to the general public from April 10-12. More information is available on WDFW’s website.

Anglers are reminded that all 2013-2014 Washington state fishing licenses expire at midnight March 31. To keep fishing, anglers 15 years of age and older must purchase a 2014-15 license. Licenses and permits are available online, by phone (1-866-246-9453) and from sporting goods stores and other retail license dealers around the state.

Hunting: The general spring wild turkey season runs April 15 through May 31 around the state, with a youth only hunt set for April 5-6. For information about these hunts, see the Wild Turkey Spring Season pamphlet on the department’s website.

Wildlife viewing: The large run of eulachon smelt up the Lewis River last month is still attracting the attention of both people and wildlife. Weeks after the run began, at least 70 bald eagles and up to 20 sea lions have been reported in the area around Woodland, where they have been feasting on smelt. For the first time since 1953, spawning fish have also been spotted above Bonneville Dam as far upstream as Hood River.

Of course, smelt aren’t the only fish moving upriver. Spring chinook salmon can also be seen moving past the fish-viewing window at Bonneville Dam. Although only 37 chinook were counted at the dam as of March 22, thousands more are expected to pass through by the end of April.

Last week Tacoma Power recovered 836 winter-run steelhead, 80 spring Chinook adults, eight jacks and one cutthroat trout during five days of operations at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery separator.
During the past week Tacoma Power employees released 15 steelhead and one cutthroat trout into the Tilton River at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton, and they released 105 steelhead, 41 spring Chinook adults and seven jacks into Lake Scanewa above Cowlitz Falls Dam.
River flows at Mayfield Dam are approximately 8,880 cubic feet per second on Monday, April 21. Water visibility is nine feet. River flows could change at any time so boaters and anglers should remain alert for this possibility.