The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Each year, thousands of Washingtonians go fishing - legally - without a license. How? By taking advantage of 'Free Fishing Weekend,' scheduled for June 6-7.

During those two days, no license will be required to fish or gather shellfish in any waters open to fishing in Washington state. Also, no vehicle access pass or Discover Pass will be required during Free Fishing Weekend to park at any of the nearly 700 water-access sites maintained by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Anglers will not need a Two Pole Endorsement to fish with two poles on selected waters where two pole fishing is permitted. Anglers will also not need a Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement, otherwise required to fish for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and its tributaries.

Anglers have been catching daily limits of trout at lakes for the past month, and many rivers will open to trout fishing June 6 throughout the state. Other options available on Free Fishing Weekend include:

· Hatchery chinook salmon in Washington's ocean waters.

· Lingcod on the coast and Puget Sound.

· Bass, crappie, perch and other warmwater fish biting in lakes throughout eastern Washington.

· Shad on the Columbia River.

· Spring chinook salmon on the Columbia River.

· Hatchery steelhead on the mainstem Columbia River and on rivers on the Olympic Peninsula.

For tips, new anglers should check online. The "Fish Washington" feature at the department's homepage (http://wdfw.wa.gov ) provides details on lowland lake fishing, high lake fishing and marine area opportunities.

Before heading out, anglers should also check the current fishing regulations, valid through June, at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/ .

While no licenses are required on Free Fishing Weekend, other rules such as size limits, bag limits and closures will still be in effect.