Northwest Fishing Reports

I bought a license for my sister in law last weekend from out of state to fish Riffe over the weekend. The guy at the license counter was adamant that a Columbia endorsement was necessary as well as a catch record. I've fished Riffe for years and never bought the endorsement and know for a fact the catch record is not required. They are land locked silvers/kings but regulated as "trout" for limit, size and all other regulations.

He scolded me by saying i was wrong and that he received a $400 ticket from a Warden for not having the endorsement. He also claimed his system was showing it as a tributary and it was needed. My concern is 2 fold: the ticket for not having the endorsement is not $400 and you don't need a catch record; so I was already reluctant to accept his explanation. Additionally I went through the regs and did not see in either the Columbia Basin river section or west side lake section were Riffe is listed that the endorsement is required.

Am I missing something here?? Just a freshwater license is all that is needed, correct? I don't mean to turn this into a bashing session on Cabelas, but I am frustrated if they are claiming this to be necessary when it is not. No need to spend the extra money.

Looks to me like it's required as it's within the Cowlitz River system;

wdfw page;

http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/crss_endorsement/

map;

http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/crss_endor ... lumbia.pdf

BUT! As I look it over some more, Swift lake is dark blue, same as the Cowlitz river. And Riffe is light blue. The chart shows the dark blue areas have that reg. in affect, and the light blue areas don't. Therefore Riffe lake, being light blue, DOESN'T have that regulation in effect. Maybe call the Dept. office down there and ask them.

And no I don't know what 'No S/S Fishing Allowed'. Maybe SS means 'salmon' and 'steelhead'? Meaning that you can't fish for them in the lakes and rivers down there that are light blue color on that map. And the caption below the map tells about the light blue areas not open for SS fishing. And the regs are for the dark blue areas. But that tells me that Riffe isn't even open for salmon or steelhead fishing.

And if you are fishing for any fish other than salmon and steelhead you don't need a Col. R. endorsement anyway.

Does not look like the way I read the regs, Mayfield and Scanewa do require CR and catch card because there are migrating salmon there, put there by WDFW as they are trapped at barrier dam. Riffe has no such requirement as the salmonoids there are landlocked. See Westside lakes special rules, looks pretty clear.

Riffe lake does not require the CR endorsement. Now if you chose to fish below the dam then you need it. Most guys will try the river below the dam for silvers and do well sometimes. I have done it for years, but it does require the CR endorsement because it is Mayfield lake and Salmon return from the ocean to spawn.

On a side note, I would call WDFW and let them know that a member at Cabelas is informing people of the wrong information.

You guys got it right.
Mayfield yes, Riffe not required.

Thanks guys... I've been fishing there for years and read the regs every year and know them pretty well. I didn't want to dismiss an employee at the license counter of a retailer I would hope knows best.. Just wanted to throw it out there for anyone else who might be getting similar misinformation. Albeit the exception, the regs are pretty clear on where you need the endorsements, two pole restrictions, etc..