The Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is part of a network of field stations located throughout the nation that works to conserve fish and aquatic resources. Over 300 biologists from the Arctic Circle to the Florida Keys monitor and control invasive species; protect imperiled species; evaluate native fish stocks and their habitats; and work with our partners to solve problems.

What We Do

Western Washington Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office staff electrofishing for population assessment study
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Our dedicated staff strives to conserve, restore, and improve native fish and aquatic resources throughout western Washington.  This includes studying populations and their habitats; supporting habitat restoration; and evaluating restoration projects, fish hatchery practices, and human impacts.  This work involves collaborations with local, state and Tribal partners.  Our findings and recommendations allow land and natural resource managers to make informed decisions. 

This office is part of the Puget Sound/Olympic Peninsula Fisheries Complex, which includes three National Fish Hatcheries on the Olympic Peninsula and is co-located with the complex office in Lacey.  

Typhanie Shepherd and Daniel Spencer, USFWS

Our Organization

A man is fishing in a boat with three young girls. The kids are excitedly pulling a fish out of the water.
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation programs work together to deliver resilient habitats, healthy fish, connected people, and strong partnerships. From habitat restoration to aquatic invasive species prevention, captive breeding to population assessment and monitoring, our programs are driven by the...
Program
Falls Church,VA

Our Species

Underwater photo of bull trout and kokanee salmon at Gold Creek in Washington State.
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Our work focuses on native fish and aquatic species, including those of tribal importance and species listed under the Endangered Species Act.  Examples of species we work with include: 

  • Chinook, coho, chum, pink, and kokanee salmon
  • Bull trout 
  • Steelhead
  • Coastal cutthroat trout
  • Pacific lamprey
  • Olympic mudminnow
  • Sculpin
  • Freshwater mussels

Projects and Research

A biologist holds a bull trout with a radio transmitter tag.
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Our office consists of four primary programs:  Hatchery Evaluation, Fisheries Management Assistance, Habitat Restoration, and Population Assessment. 

For more information on these programs, please visit our Projects and Research page.

Latest News

A Pathways employee smiles as she holds up a prickly sculpin. A field and sky can be seen in the background.
Our People
Story of Service: Angel Velasquez
Pathways employee, Angel Velasquez, shares her cultural roots and career motivations along with highlights from her summer experience with the Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office!
A service intern wearing waders stands in a river with a pole net, ready to scoop up fish.
Our People
Story of Service: Ethan Chaipatanapong
Ethan Chaipatanapong shares his journey from growing up in the Pacific Northwest and getting his first exposure to aquatic conservation science to his 6-month action-packed experience with the Service's Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office.
A service intern wearing waders and a PFD smiles as he measures the length of a fish. Water can be seen in the background.
Our People
Story of Service: Chris Lage
Chris Lage learned natural resource conservation lessons from his grandmother at an early age. This combined with his love for fishing led him on a path towards a career in fisheries science, including a six-month service term with the Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office.
Service intern smiles while holding up a Bay Pipefish.
Our People
Story of Service: Maya Bass
Maya Bass shares her journey from being inspired through habitat restoration work to immersing herself in a diversity aquatic conservation science projects with the Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. We are thankful for her contributions to our conservation mission and have no doubt...
A construction site in the forest with a deep dirt pit with corrugated sheeting and workers wearing safety vests and hard hats. Heavy equipment and trees in the background.
Habitat Restoration
Coldwater Connection Campaign Clearing Way for Fish
Sometimes, clearing a barrier to fish passage is a straight-forward issue: Remove a poorly designed or crumbling culvert, install a smartly designed new one, and many miles of access to cold, clear water are opened. On Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, it’s not that simple. Several groups came...
An underwater scene of many fish, silver and pink in color, swimming in clear, blue water.
Our People
Roger Tabor: Contributions through Science and Imagery
In 2023, Pacific Region fish biologist Roger Tabor was awarded high honors from the Department of the Interior for his exceptional scientific contributions over a decades-long career. Tabor, known not only for these contributions to his field, is also renowned for his stunning underwater...
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Location and Contact Information