SKAGIT COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Steelhead fishing season is nearing its opening in Skagit County.

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) says the season opens on Saturday, Feb. 1, and extends through April 15.

Steelhead fishing will be allowed on the Skagit River from the Dalles Bridge at Concrete upstream to Cascade River Road. On the Sauk River, it’s open from the mouth upstream to Darrington Bridge.

Steelhead fishing operates under normal catch-and-release regulations, however, only two hatchery steelhead can be kept, and wild steelhead must be released immediately.

WDFW says fishery managers are forecasting that just over 7,000 wild steelhead fish will return this year.