WDFW will fly drones over the Quillayute and Hoh systems to count anglers

Washington will start counting river anglers from the air with drones this fall. A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife news release dated Sept. 22, 2026, out of Olympia, says staff will fly the Quillayute and Hoh river systems beginning in late September to expand recreational catch monitoring.

The flights are a census of anglers, not a new bag limit. Managers combine those counts with angler interviews to estimate catch and effort for pre-season, in-season, and post-season decisions. Biologist Hannah Bayberry said the department now counts anglers by helicopter or by boat, and that both depend on staffing and logistics. The hope is that drones cut that load and improve safety in remote water. This fall is a pilot, with an eye toward other rivers later.

On the Quillayute system the flights cover the Bogachiel, Calawah, Dickey, Quillayute, and Sol Duc. On the Hoh they run from the mouth up to the upper Olympic National Park boundary. Flights are daylight only, weather permitting, and have to follow FAA and WDFW drone rules. WDFW says the creel data still feed salmon and steelhead management. Contacts on the release: Hannah Bayberry, 360-522-3091, and media contact Mark Yuasa, 360-902-2262.

Photo: WDFW.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: WDFW — Drone flights over northern coastal rivers to expand recreational fishery catch monitoring (Sept. 22, 2026).