PORT ANGELES – Olympic National Park officials announced Tuesday that due to the low forecasted return of wild steelhead, the Queets River will temporarily close to sport fishing on Monday, December 16. Anglers can continue to catch hatchery steelhead in the Salmon River through February 28. The Queets River is expected to reopen to recreational angling on June 1, 2025.

The forecasted return of wild steelhead is below the management goal. Given anticipated commercial and sport fishing impacts and the long-term declines in total run size and escapement, this temporary closure is necessary to maintain the Queets wild steelhead population.

Queets wild steelhead have experienced long-term declines in recent years, failing to reach the escapement goal of 4,200 fish in each of the last eight years.

The recent status review by NOAA Fisheries determined that Olympic Peninsula steelhead are at moderate risk of extinction.