Tribal Permit for Roosevelt

[chipmunksniper]

I want to try fishing Roosevelt this year but i am reading the regs trying to figure out the tribal permit situation. Do i need a permit if i am going to fish from a boat? or just if i am fishing from shore on the reservation side... looking at the map i picked up the reservation boundry splits the lake right up the middle so it appears if i boat past an imaginary line in the middle of the lake i will be within the reservation. am i correct? thanks for the help!

[rusty]

It is my understanding that you need a tribal permit if you fish from shore on tribal land. If you fish from a boat you should only need your wdfw license.

[YJ Guide Service]

Rusty is correct, but we are encouraging everyone to not support the tribe as long as they are offering a bounty on Walleye.....Dont buy their permits

[YJ Guide Service]

Also there is nothing wrong with fishing either side of the river as long as you dont get out onto shore. I dont think the middle of the river rule has been passed or approved as far as I have heard. I asked the tribal law enforcment and they said as long as you werent on shore fishing.

[hewesfisher]

I want to try fishing Roosevelt this year but i am reading the regs trying to figure out the tribal permit situation. Do i need a permit if i am going to fish from a boat? or just if i am fishing from shore on the reservation side... looking at the map i picked up the reservation boundry splits the lake right up the middle so it appears if i boat past an imaginary line in the middle of the lake i will be within the reservation. am i correct?

No, you do not need a tribal permit to fish from a boat. As long as your boat never touches tribal land, your WA state license is all you need. If you beach your boat or shore fish on the reservation side a tribal permit is required.


From the WDFW website:

Colville Confederated Tribes
No special permits or licenses are required if fishing from a boat. However, a tribal license is required if fishing from shore or launching from areas of Lake Roosevelt controlled by the Colville Tribes. For more information call the CCT Fish and Wildlife Department (509-634-2110).

Spokane Tribe
Areas of Lake Roosevelt controlled by the Spokane Tribe and off limits to non-tribal members are posted. If launching from property under the jurisdiction of the Spokane Tribe, call 509-258-9119 (enforcement) for more information.

From the Colville Confederated Tribe website, Non-Member Fishing Regs 2010 - 2011 (most current regs on website):

All non-members on the Colville Indian Reservation MUST have in their possession a valid Colville Indian Reservation
fishing permit to fish in all waters open to non-members on the Colville Indian Reservation. In addition: 1) A Colville Indian
Reservation Fishing Permit shall be required when fishing from the reservation shoreline (see general definitions, page
4) of the following boundary waters: Crawfish Lake, Lake Pateros (Wells Pool), Washburn Pond and the Okanogan
River; 2) When fishing Rufus Woods Reservoir from a boat or at one of the Designated Fishing Areas, either a Tribal
Permit or State License shall be acceptable. A Tribal Permit is required when fishing from the north shore (Okanogan
County side) on Colville Reservation lands other than the Designated Fishing Areas. 3) When fishing Lake Roosevelt,
non-member fishermen that traverse the Colville Indian Reservation to obtain fishing access on the west shore of
Lake Roosevelt, are also required to possess a Colville Indian Reservation Fishing Permit; 4) For purposes of this
fishing license provision, Grand Coulee Dam structure will not be considered as reservation shoreline; 5) For state
licensing requirements on boundary waters, please contact the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at (509)
456-4082, (509) 754-4624 or (360) 902-2464.

I seem to recall a tribal permit being required if you fish beyond a certain point in the San Poil Arm, but cannot find the reference now. The boundary as I remember was way up the San Poil.

[basser90]

I too am trying to find info on the San Poil boundry line. I also believe it was quit a bit up the arm but I thought I heard it was changed? Any help with this would be much appreciated.

[AJ's Dad]

Before I discovered pike fishing I was a member of the spokane Walleye club and I fished mainly for walleyes. As I remember it, many years ago there was a law that said "Non Tribal" fishermen needed a permit to fish from the imaginary line in the middle of the river over to the reservation side. A stubborn "Non Tribal" fisherman fishing beyond the "Line" was stopped and the tribal enforcement officer tried to issue him a ticket. The fisherman refused to accept the ticket and the issue went to court. That law was not upheld by the court, setting a presidence and allowing "Non Tribal" members to fish the whole body of water.

Now that was a long time ago, but that's how I remember the evolution of being allowed to fish the whole body of water.

[chipmunksniper]

Ok cool. that is what i was hoping! i don't plan on fishing from shore over there so i think i will be in good shape. i'm an idaho resident so i wasn't looking forward to paying for a tribal permit in addition to a non-resident license. thanks for the replies!