Authored by Christopher Wegeleben. Written from the perspective of a lifelong steelheader who believes experience creates stewardship.
When the update came out on December 16 confirming the continued pause on wild steelhead fishing in the Queets River, it didn’t feel new. This pause has been in place for multiple years now. We have lived with it, respected it, and waited. What made this moment heavy was the hope that, with opportunity opening on so many other rivers up and down the Washington coast, the Queets might finally be included again.
Instead, we are still waiting.
Why the Queets River Remains Closed
Escapement goals have not been met for years, and broader assessments show Olympic Peninsula steelhead populations remain under pressure. I understand the caution. I understand the responsibility that comes with managing wild fish.
What I struggle with is the idea that a carefully managed catch and release fishery would meaningfully threaten the existence of this run.
Catch and Release and Wild Steelhead Conservation
Many of us believe that responsible angling, done right, does not inherently put wild steelhead at risk. Catch and release fisheries across the coast operate under strict regulations for a reason. When handled properly, they allow anglers to interact with the resource while minimizing harm. The Queets already benefits from anglers who deeply respect wild fish, often more than any other user group on the river.
This is where the conversation becomes more than numbers on a chart.
Why Experiencing Rivers Creates Stewardship
The Queets is not just a river. It is a place that shapes people. It is one of my favorite places to chase steelhead, and it is a place many of us have not been able to truly experience as anglers in years. That loss matters.
And it matters because of this simple truth. People protect what they know, what they love, and what they have experienced.
We want future anglers to know the Queets not just as a name on a map, but as a living, breathing steelhead river worth protecting. When a place goes unused for long enough, it risks being forgotten. Utilization, when done responsibly, creates connection. Connection creates advocacy. Advocacy creates conservation.
I believe there is room for a safer path forward. One that allows limited, well regulated catch and release opportunity while continuing to prioritize the health of the run. A path that lets anglers experience the Queets again, not to exploit it, but to remember why it matters.
The goal is not just to save fish in isolation.
The goal is to build a future where wild steelhead still matter to people. Where these rivers are part of our lives, our stories, and our identity. Where they are actively loved, talked about, defended, and fought for, not quietly forgotten because access disappeared long enough for connection to fade.
For now, the river rests. But I hope the conversation does not.
I hope we keep asking how to protect the Queets without letting it fade into memory.