Washington Closes Hoh, Quillayute Watersheds to Fishing

Low coho returns and delayed salmon migration prompt a fishing closure across two Olympic Peninsula watersheds.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Fishing

Washington Closes Hoh, Quillayute Watersheds to Fishing

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Do you support closing local rivers to fishing to protect salmon populations?

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has closed all fishing in the Hoh and Quillayute watersheds until further notice. In-season monitoring shows the 2026 coho harvest is substantially lower than anticipated.

Why it matters

The closure is intended to protect vulnerable salmon populations and improve the chances of meeting conservation goals. Anglers in Washington who plan to fish the Olympic Peninsula rivers should check current closures before heading out.

The closure covers the Hoh River, the South Fork of the Hoh, and multiple Clallam County streams including Bear, Beaver and Thunder creeks, plus the Bogachiel, Calawah, Dickey, Quillayute, Sitkum and Sol Duc rivers. Fishery managers have not yet said when these waters will reopen.

The players

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

The state agency responsible for managing Washington's fish and wildlife resources, including salmon fisheries and seasonal closures on rivers across the state.

Olympic National Park

A national park on Washington's Olympic Peninsula that protects temperate rainforest, glacier-capped peaks and Pacific coastline, and whose crews maintain access roads in the region.

The details

Chinook and coho salmon are holding in lower river reaches instead of continuing upstream to spawning areas, after below-average summer precipitation kept river flows low and delayed migration. Recent rainfall has improved flows enough for some salmon to resume their journey upstream.

Summer 2026: Below-average precipitation lowered river flows and delayed salmon migration.
November 4, 2026: Fishing closure announced for the Hoh and Quillayute watersheds.

Seasonal Patterns

This closure follows a pattern of restrictive salmon management on Olympic Peninsula rivers, where low summer flows have repeatedly delayed migration and reduced returns. The 2026 coho shortfall suggests the region's river conditions continue to shape fishing seasons year to year.

Anglers planning trips to the Hoh or Quillayute rivers should expect no legal fishing there until the closure is lifted. Travelers can still reach the Graves Creek area via South Shore Road throughout the winter season.

The takeaway

Anglers who fish Washington's Olympic Peninsula rivers should monitor river flows and official closure notices, since low water can shut down a season quickly.

What happens next

Fishery managers may reopen fisheries if river conditions improve, and access to the Quinault road route can be restored once the highest risk of culvert damage has passed.