An angler holds a wild steelhead caught and released in the Skagit River system during the 2025 fishing season. Photo: Marcus Reaves
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced that the Skagit and Sauk rivers will close to all fishing on Friday, April 11, due to lower-than-anticipated returns of wild steelhead. The last day open for steelhead fishing will be this Thursday, April 10.
In-season catch surveys, test fishing, and other fisheries monitoring by the WDFW and Skagit co-managing tribes has led fisheries managers to downgrade the 2025 steelhead forecast to 5,151 wild steelhead. The preseason forecast was 7,019 steelhead.
Given the significantly lower estimated return and high levels of fishing activity, the fishery is closing to protect spawning steelhead, reserve remaining steelhead impacts for spring salmon fisheries, and ensure guidelines in the Skagit River Steelhead Resource Management Plan (RMP) are met.
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