Oregon V.S. Washington Fishing License

[fishinfool]

I have read reports on here where people launch on the washington side at like IIlwaco due to it being a shorter run to the bar. My question is this if you launch and retrieve on the Washington side even though you are Obviously from Oregon (license both fishing and drivers, and boat reg in oregon) due you have to have a Washington license when the all to infamous fish checker comes by? Just is a curiousity question which may possibly turn to reality depending on parents choice of a beach house. Thanks in advance. Tim

[sturgn]

I have been launching and landing out of Chinook for years now, never had a problem wiht fish checkers or sheriffes that check licenses and I am from Oregon!

[ 07-29-2001: Message edited by: sturgn ]

[Joe Schwab]

Fishinfool, Page 78 Oregon Angling regs states: Anglers that are residents of either Oregon or Washington may launch or take out their boats from either shore regardles of which state license they hold. Anglers that are not resident of either Oregon or Washington must possess non resident license from the state in which they are landing. Hope that helps.

[Grits]

Had a washington game warden tell us last year that we were ok to bring the fish to either side but if you drop a crab pot and land on the washington side and are an Oregon resident you need an out of state permit that costs $20 bucks and the crabs to need be legal for the Washington side.

[fishinfool]

Capt. Hook and Grits
Thanks guys you were a big help. It is great to have a place to turn when you need the simple questions answered. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Killertraylor]

You can launch in a boat from either side of the river, but if you fish from the bank, you need to have a license from that state. I've launched in Chinook for 6 years now with an Oregon license and tag and never had any problems - even with crabbing.

[Grits]

Killertraylor: I had launched there many years with no problem either but after the Game Warden questioned us at the boat ramp on the crabs I contacted WDFW and they confirmed that I needed a out of state Washington shellfish permit to crab and land my boat in Washington. Washington unlike Oregon requires a permit to harvest crab so a Washington person could bring them to Oregon boat ramps no problem but everyone needs a shellfish permit to land crabs in Washington. If I remeber correctly Washingtons crab size for a keeper is bigger except for the columbia where they have it at 5 3/4" but I would have to check my Washington book to double check that.

On similar note today I was double checking that reg and noticed in the Marine zone it was very specific that if you caught a fish in the Ocean and landed in Oregon you had to have an Oregon license. If Washington has the same reg then I have been wrong a lot of times and will have to start launching at Hammond for the ocean trips.

[ 07-30-2001: Message edited by: Grits ]

[Killertraylor]

Thanks for the warning, Grits. I've fished the Ocean three times in the last few weeks launching out of Chinook and tagging my fish on my Oregon license and I've been checked all 3 times by Washington State Police when I hit the dock. They mentioned something about a reciprocal agreement with Oregon, but I'm not sure if it's in the regs or whether they just allow you to use either license.

[Perfect Drift]

Boat licenses are just like your truck, good all over the US.
Fishin licenses good on the Columbia, but not in the sloughs or back waters. Like the Multnomah Channel or some of the marinas.

[Joe Schwab]

Just to clarify the other point about ocean fishing license requirements. Page 8 Angling Synopsis states: When angling in the Pacific Ocean within three miles of shore between Cape Falcon Ore. and Leadbetter PT. Wash. either a resident Wash or Oregon lic. is valid. The landing lic.rules on page 78 covers the landing.