Section 220-52-060. Commercial crawfish fishery.

(1) Licensing: A shellfish pot fishery license is required to operate the gear provided for in this section. An application for a shellfish pot fishery license is available at the offices of the department, by calling the WDFW license division at 360-902-2500, or on the department web site at www.wdfw.wa.gov.

(2) Commercial crawfish season: The first Monday in May through October 31, except: In Washington waters of the Columbia River downstream from the mouth of the Walla Walla River, it is permissible to take crawfish from April 1 through October 31.

(3) Commercial crawfish size and sex restrictions:

(a) Crawfish must be 3-1/4 inches or more in length from the tip of the rostrum (nose) to the tip of the tail .

(b) All undersize crawfish and female crawfish with eggs or young attached to the abdomen must be immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which taken. Fishers must sort and return illegal crawfish to the waters from which taken immediately after the crawfish are removed from the shellfish pot and prior to lifting additional pots from the water.

(4) Commercial crawfish gear, fishing areas, and pot number restrictions:

(a) It is unlawful to take crawfish for commercial purposes with gear other than shellfish pots.

(b) The department determines the maximum number of pots permitted in any given body of water. Once the permitted maximum number of pots for any given body of water is reached, no further permits may be issued for that area. Permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis consistent with all other regulations concerning issuance of commercial crawfish harvest permits.

(c) It is unlawful for a person to fish more than 400 pots at one time in the commercial crawfish fishery.

(d) It is unlawful to fish for crawfish for commercial purposes in the following waters:

Clallam

Anderson Lake

Crescent Lake

Clark

Battleground Lake

Cowlitz

Merrill Lake

Grant

Deep Lake

Potholes Res.

Coulee Lake

Soap Lakes

Sun Lakes

Grays Harbor

Sylvia Lake

Island

Cranberry Lake

Jefferson

Anderson Lake

King

Cedar Lake

Elbow Lake

Green Lake

Green River

Margaret Lake

Sammamish Lake

Sammamish River

Sammamish Slough

Walsh Lake

Kittitas

Easton Lake

Klickitat

Horsethief Lake

Roland Lake

Lewis

Mineral Lake

Okanogan

Alta Lake

Buffalo Lake

Campbell Lake

Conconully Lake

Conconully Res.

Crawfish Lake

Omak Lake

Osoyoos Lake

Pearrygin Lake

Pacific

Middle Nemah River

North Nemah River

Smith Creek

Pend Oreille

Browns Lake (on Brown Cr)

Calispell Lake

Cooks Lake

Conklin Lake

Davis Lake

Half Moon Lake

Mystic Lake

No Name Lake

Shearer Lake

Vanee Lake

Pierce

Clear Lake

Spanaway Lake

Steilacoom Lake

Wapato Lake

Skagit

Beaver Lake

Caskey Lake

Cranberry Lake

Everett Lake

Minkler Lake

Pass Lake

Sixteen Lake

Whistle Lake

Skamania

Goose Lake

Mosquito Lake

South Prairie Lake

Stump (Tunnel) Lake

Snohomish

Ballinger Lake

Chaplain Lake

Flowing Lake

Goodwin Lake

Ki Lake

Martha Lake

Pass Lake

Roesiger Lake

Serene Lake

Shoecraft Lake

Silver Lake

Stevens Lake

Stickney Lake

Storm Lake

Thurston

Deep Lake

Hicks Lake

Long Lake

Patterson Lake

Summit Lake

Ward Lake

Whatcom

Budd Lake

Bug Lake

Caine Lake

Fishtrap Creek

Johnson Creek

Padden Lake

Toad or Emerald Lake

(e) It is unlawful to fish for crawfish within 1/4 mile of the shoreline of developed parks.

(f) It is permissible for an individual fisherman to fish for crawfish for commercial use in the waters set out below with up to the number of pots shown.

(g) Commercial crawfish harvest permits will be issued to limit the number of crawfish pots permissible per fisherman per body of water in suitable crawfish harvest sites not listed in subsections (4)(d) and (e) of this section as follows:

(i) Under 20 acres - No commercial harvest.

(ii) 20 acres to 100 acres - 50 pots.

(iii) 101 acres to 400 acres - 100 pots.

(iv) Over 400 acres - 200 pots.

(h) Permits may be issued only in waters where fishing will not conflict with high density residential or recreational areas. No permit will be issued where developed parks encompass more than 1/2 of the water shoreline.

(5) It is unlawful to discard any crawfish bait into the waters of the state.

(6) This section does not apply to the commercial culture of crawfish at a registered aquatic farm.

(7) It is unlawful to fish for or possess crawfish taken for commercial purposes in violation of this section. Violation of this section is punishable under RCW 77.15.500, 77.15.520, 77.15.522, or 77.15.540, depending on the circumstances of the violation.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.055, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. WSR 12-23-016 (Order 12-267), § 220-52-060, filed 11/9/12, effective 12/10/12. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 94-12-009 (Order 94-23), § 220-52-060, filed 5/19/94, effective 6/19/94; WSR 91-10-024 (Order 91-22), § 220-52-060, filed 4/23/91, effective 5/24/91; WSR 87-23-006 (Order 87-187), § 220-52-060, filed 11/6/87. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080 and 75.58.040. WSR 86-19-043 (Order 86-102), § 220-52-060, filed 9/12/86. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 80-13-064 (Order 80-123), § 220-52-060, filed 9/17/80; WSR 79-02-053 (Order 79-6), § 220-52-060, filed 1/30/79; Order 76-26, § 220-52-060, filed 1:45 p.m., 4/20/76; Order 945, § 220-52-060, filed 8/16/71; Order 807, § 220-52-060, filed 1/2/69, effective 2/1/69; subsections 1-7, Orders 414 and 256, filed 3/1/60.]

RCW 77.04.012, 77.04.013, 77.04.055, 77.12.045, and 77.12.047. WSR 12-23-016 (Order 12-267), § 220-52-060, filed 11/9/12, effective 12/10/12. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 94-12-009 (Order 94-23), § 220-52-060, filed 5/19/94, effective 6/19/94; WSR 91-10-024 (Order 91-22), § 220-52-060, filed 4/23/91, effective 5/24/91; WSR 87-23-006 (Order 87-187), § 220-52-060, filed 11/6/87. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080 and 75.58.040. WSR 86-19-043 (Order 86-102), § 220-52-060, filed 9/12/86. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 80-13-064 (Order 80-123), § 220-52-060, filed 9/17/80; WSR 79-02-053 (Order 79-6), § 220-52-060, filed 1/30/79; Order 76-26, § 220-52-060, filed 1:45 p.m., 4/20/76; Order 945, § 220-52-060, filed 8/16/71; Order 807, § 220-52-060, filed 1/2/69, effective 2/1/69; subsections 1-7, Orders 414 and 256, filed 3/1/60.