Washington launches beta version of updated fishing regulation app

Washington officials are asking the public to try out a new version of a mobile phone app that lets users view fishing regulations for waterbodies across the state.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced in a news release Thursday that Fish Washington 2.0 is in the final phases of beta testing and is available for the public to download.

Those who download the new version will be able to provide feedback to WDFW on the changes. Fish Washington 2.0 will officially launch this spring.

Fish Washington has been available since April 2018. It shows users a map of the state with rivers and lakes highlighted in blue. When users click on a certain waterbody, the app shows them the current regulations governing it, including seasons and bag limits.

It was designed to provide anglers with up-to-the-minute fishing regulations for every waterbody in the state.

But users have had troubles with the app over the years. Kelly Hall, a WDFW spokesperson, said there have been issues with the size of the app itself, connectivity and problems with updating regulations, which led to rule compliance and enforcement issues.

The release said the app has been rewritten to address problems reported by users on both Apple and Android devices. It’s half the size of the previous version and is designed to use less data and memory.

The maps have been upgraded, and the new version includes location-enabled U.S. Geological Survey river gauges and tide charts.

The app can be downloaded through a QR code available on the WDFW website.

Feedback on the new app can be emailed to WDFW at MobileAppDev@dfw.wa.gov.