July brought good news for Washington fishing enthusiasts: Due to significantly high numbers of returning sockeye, Baker Lake is now open for salmon fishing! This is an unprecedented move on the part of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. According to a press release issued this month, Baker Lake has seen a return of more than 10,000 hatchery fish, well exceeding the goal of 6,300 set earlier in the year.
“People have been waiting a long time to be able to fish for sockeye salmon in Baker Lake,” said WDFW fish biologist Brett Barkdull. “This year’s run isn’t huge by historical standards, but we’ve exceeded our goals for both hatchery-reared sockeye and naturally spawning fish needed for production.”
