Stillaguamish mainstem reopens Oct. 1; the North Fork stays closed

The Stillaguamish River mainstem is set to reopen for recreational fishing. A FishingWA rule change posted Sept. 25, 2026, carrying the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife action, returns the mainstem to the permanent rules in the sport pamphlet from Oct. 1 through Nov. 1. That opens salmon and game fish seasons on that stretch. The species named are all species, including coho and game fish.

The water that comes back is the mainstem from Marine Drive upstream to the confluence of the North and South forks, including South Slough. Anglers there follow the pamphlet, not a new bag written for this window. The North Fork Stillaguamish, from the mouth to the Highway 530 bridge at Cicero, stays closed to fishing.

WDFW said fall rains raised flows enough for Chinook that had been holding in the lower river to move upstream onto spawning grounds, which cuts the chance of angler encounters in the mainstem. The lower North Fork stays shut because Chinook are spawning there and managers want those impacts kept inside the objectives. Anglers were also seen targeting salmon during the North Fork fly-fishing season in early September, which is part of why that closure is holding. Fishery managers say they plan to reopen the North Fork once most of those Chinook are gone.

This is a mainstem reopen with the North Fork still closed, not a blanket Stillaguamish opener. North Puget Sound Region: TeamMillCreek@dfw.wa.gov, 425-775-1311. Check the emergency-rules list and the pamphlet before you fish.

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

Source: FishingWA — Stillaguamish River mainstem to open for recreational fishing (Sept. 25, 2026).