WDFW will hold a Nov. 10 virtual town hall on next season's coastal steelhead fishing

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will host a virtual town hall on planning for the 2026-27 coastal steelhead seasons, the department announced Nov. 2. The meeting runs Nov. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. on Zoom, and pre-registration is required.

Fishery managers plan to present 2025-26 escapement numbers, preliminary 2026-27 forecasts and proposed regulations, with time for public comments and questions.

"In our planning, we're focused on balancing wild steelhead conservation with providing meaningful fishing opportunities for hatchery steelhead," said Chad Herring, WDFW's regional fish program manager for the Coastal Region. WDFW works under its Statewide Steelhead Management Plan, which requires it to put the sustainability of wild coastal steelhead runs first.

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

Source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (Nov. 2, 2026).

Photo: Jeff Fong, via WDFW.