Steelhead production in southwest Washington is poised for a major reduction as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) moves forward with plans to close the Skamania Hatchery in Washougal.
The hatchery, which produces both summer and winter steelhead for release into regional rivers, has long supported recreational fishing opportunities across southwest Washington. Currently, it produces about 331,000 steelhead annually, according to WDFW.
Operations will begin winding down over the next year as the state embarks on a three-year process to fully close the facility. Some steelhead production will shift to the Washougal and Beaver Creek hatcheries, but total statewide output is still expected to drop by roughly 161,000 fish annually.
WDFW announced its decision to shutter Skamania Hatchery in June after the state Legislature provided less than half of the agency’s two-year funding request. The department had sought $1.9 million to sustain operations at both the Skamania and North Toutle hatcheries but received only $750,000, as lawmakers faced a budget deficit of up to $16 billion.
“This funding is far short of the amount needed to sustain current hatchery operations,” WDFW noted in its budget summary.
Given limited resources, WDFW opted to keep the North Toutle Hatchery – which produces Tule Fall Chinook and coho salmon – operational, citing greater overall benefits compared to Skamania.
Rather than seeking new funds to maintain Skamania operations, the agency is requesting $432,000 in the 2026 supplemental budget to begin formal closure activities.
“The Department recognizes the necessity of exercising fiscal restraint this year considering falling revenue forecasts, rising costs, and shifting federal impacts,” WDFW Director Kelly Susewind said in a letter to the state’s Office of Financial Management.
Two Skamania Hatchery staff members will be reassigned to the Washougal Hatchery while remaining onsite to manage the phased closure. They will oversee fish ladder and trapping operations for returning adult steelhead until all remaining fish from previous releases have completed their life cycles.
Full decommissioning – removing intake structures, demolishing buildings, and restoring the site – could take up to six additional years and cost an estimated $8 million, pending future capital budget allocations.
WDFW expects the closure to be felt most acutely by recreational steelhead anglers in southwest Washington, where Skamania’s releases have long been a cornerstone of the region’s fishery.