Please Recreate Responsibly at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

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Published: Thursday, 15 June 2023 22:18

From Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area News Release

Click here for complete news release.

Now that recreation season has officially begun, we wanted to remind everyone about some basic guidelines to help everyone enjoy their visit.

Camping and Reservations

If you are coming to camp, start your trip off right. Check for available campsites on Recreation.gov before you leave home. All 27 of our car-accessible campgrounds are only available through reservations. With spotty cell service throughout the lake, the best way to guarantee you have a campsite is to make your reservation before you leave home. Weekends are our busiest time during the summer, and we are usually full every summer holiday weekend. Reservations can be made at Recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777.

During your stay at Lake Roosevelt, please be courteous to the other campers. Don’t walk through anyone else’s campsite and keep noise and music low. Quiet hours are from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am every night. We don’t have electricity hook-ups and generators are not allowed overnight. If you require a generator during the night, there are several private campgrounds around the park that provide electricity hook-ups.

Boating and Launch Permits

If you are coming to boat, weekly boat launch permits, good for seven consecutive days, are available at Pay.gov. Boaters can purchase their permits before they leave in the morning or with their cell phone wherever cell service is available. You’ll need the Pay.gov transaction number for the blue launching permit receipt. Fill out the blue receipt and place it on the dashboard of your tow vehicle with the bright pink mussel-free self-certification form.

Annual boat launch permits can also be purchased through Pay.gov but can take up to two weeks to receive. Boaters can purchase annual boat launch permits in-person at five locations (Fees & Passes - Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)) surrounding the park. These permits are good for one calendar year.

Make space for others. Launch as quickly as you can by making sure to load your boat before you launch. Launch and courtesy docks have a 30-minute maximum. If the boat ramp is busy, make sure everyone is ready to go as soon as the boat is launched.

Mussel-free Self-certification Form and Aquatic Invasive Species

Don’t forget to fill out your bright pink mussel-free self-certificationform located in every boat launch bulletin board. After following the flowchart and completing the form, place it in the windshield of your launch vehicle where it can be easily seen. If you only boat within Washington State, you will only need to complete the form once per season. If you launch your boat outside of Washington State, you will need to complete the form before you launch at Lake Roosevelt again. Watercraft coming from outside of Washington should be cleaned, drained, and fully dried (dry time may be up to 30 days) or have valid proof of inspection within the last 30 days, before launching in Lake Roosevelt. It is important to remove all dirt, plants and water from boats, trailers, and other water gear prior to launching every time.

Aquatic invasive species are easily transported between bodies of water by boats, inflatable kayaks and float toys, fishing waders and tubes, trailers, and any other water gear. Currently, freshwater lakes in Washington, Oregon and Idaho are free of invasive mussels. An invasive mussel species native to Ukraine and Russia, quagga/zebra mussels quickly cover most hard surfaces and can clog boat motor intake systems, water intake structures, recreational beaches, agricultural irrigation systems and hydroelectric power plant operations. These small mussels can survive out of the water for up to two weeks and the microscopic larvae can be transported in bilges, ballast water, live wells or other equipment that holds water. Researchers within the Pacific Northwest Economic Region estimate that the economic impact of a mussel infestation would cost the Pacific Northwest $500 million annually.

Fish Cleaning and Disposal

If you are coming to fish, as a reminder, Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations 2.14(a)(7) prohibits disposing of fish remains on land or in waters within 200 feet of boat docks or swimming beaches, or within developed areas. The exception to this rule is at established fish cleaning stations attached to specific docks throughout the park.

Please either clean your fish according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) recommendations on your boat and drop the remains overboard in deep water or clean your fish at home. When cleaning your fish, please dispose of the remains in the water. Do not drop them on the docks or shoreline. If you are camping, use one of the cleaning stations on the dock and drop the remains into the lake or store them and use them for bait the next time you go fishing.

Leaving fish remains on the docks and shoreline creates a safety issue for other visitors. In addition to making docks slippery, remains will attract wildlife such as wasps, coyotes, cougars, and bears. If wildlife, especially coyotes, cougars, and/or bears begin visiting a campground or day-use area on a regular basis, we will have to close that area until the animal is trapped and relocated.

The White Sturgeon fishing season has shifted to September 16 – November 30^th. During the sturgeon season WDFW regulations require anglers bring the whole sturgeon to shore prior to cleaning to allow checks for compliance within the slot size limit rule.

Safety and Fireworks

Check life jackets before you leave home to make sure that there is one for every person and that they properly fit and are in good shape. Most importantly, wear your life jackets. If you run into trouble, there will not be time to put it on properly.

Finally, please remember that fireworks are never allowed at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. If you see someone setting off fireworks anywhere along the lake, please report it through the appropriate non-emergency number. If you are in the southern portion of the lake call Lincoln County Sheriff’s office at (509) 725-3501. In the northern part of the lake call the Steven’s County Sheriff’s office at (509) 684-5296.

For more information, visit Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).