WAC 220-340-700. 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 website 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) Buoys must consist of durable material that will remain floating on the surface with five pounds attached; bleach or antifreeze bottles or other containers may not be used as floats. (e) When two or more pots are attached to a common ground line, the number of pots attached must be clearly labeled on the required buoy. (f) Crawfish gear also subject to provisions of WAC 220-353-020 . (g) It is unlawful to fish for crawfish for commercial purposes in the following waters: Clallam 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 (h) It is unlawful to fish for crawfish within 1/4 mile of the shoreline of developed parks. (i) 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. Name of Lake, River, or Slough County Max. Pots Allowed Alder Lake (Res.) Pierce/Thurston 200 Alkali Lake Grant 100 Bachelor Slough Clark 100 Baker Lake Whatcom 200 Banks Lake Grant 200 Big Lake Skagit 200 Black Lake Thurston 200 Blue Lake Grant 200 Bonaparte Lake Okanogan 100 Buckmire Slough Clark 100 Camas Slough Clark 100 Campbell Lake Skagit 100 Cassidy Lake Snohomish 100 Cavanaugh Lake Skagit 200 Chehalis River Lewis/Grays Harbor 100 Chelan Lake Chelan 200 Clear Lake Skagit 100 Coal Creek Slough Cowlitz 100 Columbia River Clark, Cowlitz, etc. 200 Copalis River Grays Harbor, etc. 100 Cowlitz River Clark, Cowlitz, etc. 100 Curlew Lake Ferry 200 Cushman Lake #1 Clark 100 Deep River Wahkiakum 100 Deschutes River Thurston 100 Diablo Lake Whatcom 200 Drano Lake Skamania 100 Elochoman River Wahkiakum 100 Erie Lake Skagit 100 Evergreen Reservoir Grant 100 Fisher Island Slough Cowlitz 100 Goose Lake (upper) Grant 100 Grays River Pacific 100 Harts Lake Pierce 100 Hoquiam River Grays Harbor 100 Humptulips River Grays Harbor 100 John's River Grays Harbor 100 Kapowsin Lake Pierce 200 Kalama River Cowlitz, etc. 100 Klickitat Klickitat 100 Lackamas Lake (Res.) Clark 100 Lake River Clark 100 Lawrence Lake Thurston 100 Lenore Lake Grant 200 Lewis River Clark/Cowlitz 100 Loomis Lake Pacific 100 Mayfield Lake Lewis 200 McIntosh Lake Thurston 100 McMurray Lake Skagit 100 Merwin Lake Clark/Cowlitz 200 Moses Lake Grant 200 Naselle River Pacific, etc. 100 Nisqually River Pierce, etc. 100 Nooksack River Whatcom 100 North River Grays Harbor 100 Palmer Lake Okanogan 100 Patterson Lake (Res.) Okanogan 100 Portage Bay King 100 Rattlesnake Lake King 100 Ross Lake (Res.) Whatcom 200 Salmon Lake Okanogan 100 Satsop River Grays Harbor 100 Shannon Lake (Res.) Skagit 200 Sidley Lake Okanogan 100 Silver Lake Pierce 100 Silver Lake Cowlitz 200 Skagit River Skagit/Whatcom 200 Skamokawa River Wahkiakum 100 Snake River Franklin/Walla Walla 200 Snohomish River Snohomish 100 St. Clair Lake Thurston 100 Swift Lake (Res.) Skamania 200 Terrell Lake Whatcom 100 Toutle River Cowlitz 100 Union Lake King 200 Vancouver Lake Clark 200 Warden Lake Grant 100 Washington Lake King 200 Washougal River Clark/Skamania 100 Whitestone Lake Okanogan 100 Willapa River Pacific 100 Wiser Lake Whatcom 100 Wind River Cowlitz 100 Wishkah River Grays Harbor 100 Woodland Slough Clark 100 Wynoochee River Grays Harbor 100 Yakima River Kittitas 100 Yale Lake (Res.) Clark/Cowlitz 200 Name of Lake, River, or Slough County Max. Pots Allowed Alder Lake (Res.) Pierce/Thurston 200 Alkali Lake Grant 100 Bachelor Slough Clark 100 Baker Lake Whatcom 200 Banks Lake Grant 200 Big Lake Skagit 200 Black Lake Thurston 200 Blue Lake Grant 200 Bonaparte Lake Okanogan 100 Buckmire Slough Clark 100 Camas Slough Clark 100 Campbell Lake Skagit 100 Cassidy Lake Snohomish 100 Cavanaugh Lake Skagit 200 Chehalis River Lewis/Grays Harbor 100 Chelan Lake Chelan 200 Clear Lake Skagit 100 Coal Creek Slough Cowlitz 100 Columbia River Clark, Cowlitz, etc. 200 Copalis River Grays Harbor, etc. 100 Cowlitz River Clark, Cowlitz, etc. 100 Curlew Lake Ferry 200 Cushman Lake #1 Clark 100 Deep River Wahkiakum 100 Deschutes River Thurston 100 Diablo Lake Whatcom 200 Drano Lake Skamania 100 Elochoman River Wahkiakum 100 Erie Lake Skagit 100 Evergreen Reservoir Grant 100 Fisher Island Slough Cowlitz 100 Goose Lake (upper) Grant 100 Grays River Pacific 100 Harts Lake Pierce 100 Hoquiam River Grays Harbor 100 Humptulips River Grays Harbor 100 John's River Grays Harbor 100 Kapowsin Lake Pierce 200 Kalama River Cowlitz, etc. 100 Klickitat Klickitat 100 Lackamas Lake (Res.) Clark 100 Lake River Clark 100 Lawrence Lake Thurston 100 Lenore Lake Grant 200 Lewis River Clark/Cowlitz 100 Loomis Lake Pacific 100 Mayfield Lake Lewis 200 McIntosh Lake Thurston 100 McMurray Lake Skagit 100 Merwin Lake Clark/Cowlitz 200 Moses Lake Grant 200 Naselle River Pacific, etc. 100 Nisqually River Pierce, etc. 100 Nooksack River Whatcom 100 North River Grays Harbor 100 Palmer Lake Okanogan 100 Patterson Lake (Res.) Okanogan 100 Portage Bay King 100 Rattlesnake Lake King 100 Ross Lake (Res.) Whatcom 200 Salmon Lake Okanogan 100 Satsop River Grays Harbor 100 Shannon Lake (Res.) Skagit 200 Sidley Lake Okanogan 100 Silver Lake Pierce 100 Silver Lake Cowlitz 200 Skagit River Skagit/Whatcom 200 Skamokawa River Wahkiakum 100 Snake River Franklin/Walla Walla 200 Snohomish River Snohomish 100 St. Clair Lake Thurston 100 Swift Lake (Res.) Skamania 200 Terrell Lake Whatcom 100 Toutle River Cowlitz 100 Union Lake King 200 Vancouver Lake Clark 200 Warden Lake Grant 100 Washington Lake King 200 Washougal River Clark/Skamania 100 Whitestone Lake Okanogan 100 Willapa River Pacific 100 Wiser Lake Whatcom 100 Wind River Cowlitz 100 Wishkah River Grays Harbor 100 Woodland Slough Clark 100 Wynoochee River Grays Harbor 100 Yakima River Kittitas 100 Yale Lake (Res.) Clark/Cowlitz 200 (j) 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. (k) 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.