Fish Consumption Advisories

The following fish eating advisories by local waterbodies are for everyone, especially women who are pregnant or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children. Follow these advisories, choose fish that are low in contaminants, and prepare and cook fish properly to reduce your exposure to contaminants in fish. 

 

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Statewide Mercury Advisory

Contaminant: Mercury

Advice:

Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mother, and young children:

• Don't eat Northern Pikeminnow.
• Limit eating Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass to no more than 2 meals per month. 

Learn more about the Mercury Advisory for Tuna.

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Columbia River (Lower)

Location: Clark County - Former Vanalco Plant

Contaminant: PCBs

Advice:

• Don't eat freshwater clams near and downstream of the former Vanalco plant (5710 NW Lower River Road, Vancouver), river mile 103.
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory.

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Columbia River (Middle)

Bonneville Dam Fish Advisory at Bradford Island

Location: Skamania County - Bonneville Dam to Fort Raines

Contaminant: Mercury and PCBs

Advice:

• Don't eat Bluegill, Carp, Catfish, Crappie, Sucker, Sturgeon, Walleye, and Yellow Perch.
• Healthy choices include Salmon, Steelhead, Lamprey, and Shad.

Materials:

• Bonneville Dam Fish Advisory Resources, Oregon Health Authority
• News Release - Limit consumption of some fish species near Bonneville Dam, middle Columbia River (PDF)

Middle Columbia River Fish Advisory

Location: Skamania, Klickitat, Benton Counties - Fort Raines to McNary Dam

Contaminant: Mercury and PCBs

Advice:

• Fort Rains to McNary Dam: Don't eat Northern Pikeminnow.
• Fort Rains to McNary Dam: Limit Bass, Bluegill, Carp, Catfish, Crappie, Sucker, Sturgeon, Walleye, and Yellow Perch to 1 meal per week (or 4 meals per month of any combination of these fish).
• Healthy choices include Salmon, Steelhead, Lamprey, and Shad.

Materials:

• Fact Sheet - Middle Columbia River Fish Advisory (PDF)
• Middle Columbia River Fish Advisory Resources, Oregon Health Authority
• News Release - Limit consumption of some fish species near Bonneville Dam, middle Columbia River (PDF)

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Columbia River (Upper) / Lake Roosevelt

Location: Ferry, Stevens, Lincoln Counties - Grand Coulee Dam to Canada Border

Contaminant: Mercury and PCBs

Advice:

Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mother, and young children:

• Don't eat Northern Pikeminnow.
• Limit Largemouth Bass and Largescale Sucker to 2 meals per month.
• Limit Burbot, Longnose Sucker, Mountain Whitefish, Smallmouth Bass, and Walleye to 1 meal per week (or 4 meals per month of any combination of these fish).
• Kokanee is okay to eat 3 meals per week. Lake Whitefish or Rainbow Trout is okay to eat 2 meals per week.

Men, and women beyond childbearing age:

• Limit Largescale Sucker to 1 meal per week.

Materials:

• Flyer - Upper Columbia River / Lake Roosevelt Fish Consumption Advisory (PDF)
• Brochure - Upper Columbia River / Lake Roosevelt Fish Consumption Advisory
  • English (PDF)
  • Russian (PDF)
  • Spanish (PDF)
• Technical Summary - Upper Columbia River Fish Consumption Advisory (PDF)
• Report - Human Health Evaluation of Contaminants in Upper Columbia River Fish (PDF)
• News Release - Toxic chemicals prompt state to issue fish consumption advisory for Upper Columbia River

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Duwamish River

Location: King County - Lower Duwamish River

Contaminant: PCBs

Advice:

• Don't eat crab, shellfish, or resident fish from the Lower Duwamish River.
• Chum, Coho, Pink, and Sockeye Salmon are okay to eat 2-3 meals per week. Limit Chinook Salmon to 1 meal per week and Blackmouth (resident Puget Sound Chinook) to 2 meals per month.
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory.

Materials:

• Flyer - Fishing for the Safest Seafood from the Duwamish River (PDF)
  • Cambodian (PDF) | Chinese (PDF) | Hmong (PDF) | Korean (PDF) | Lao (PDF) | Mien (PDF) | Russian (PDF) | Spanish (PDF) | Tagalog (PDF) | Vietnamese (PDF)
• Advisory Sign for the Lower Duwamish River (PDF) in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Russian, and Somali.
• Fact Sheet - Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site (PDF)
  • Spanish - Canal Lower Duwamish Sitio del Superfondo Hoja Informativa (PDF)
  • Vietnamese - Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site, Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Report - Lower Duwamish Waterway, Public Health Assessment (PDF)

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Green Lake

Location: King County

Contaminant: PCBs

Advice:

• Limit Carp to 1 meal per month.
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory.

Materials:

• Advisory Sign for Green Lake (PDF) in English, Russian, Bosnian, Cambodian, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish, and Japanese.

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Lake Chelan

Location: Chelan County

Contaminant: DDT

Advice:

• Limit Lake Trout (Mackinaw) to 1 meal per week.
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory.

Materials:

• Brochure - Lake Chelan Lake Trout Fish Eating Guide (PDF) 
• Fact Sheet - Lake Chelan Fish Advisory (PDF)

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Lake Washington

Location: King County

Contaminant: PCBs

Advice:

• Don't eat Northern Pikeminnow and Carp. Limit Cutthroat Trout to 1 meal per month and Yellow Perch to 1 meal per week.
• Sockeye Salmon, Rainbow Trout, and Pumpkin Seed are okay to eat 2-3 meals per week.
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory.

Materials:

• Advisory Sign for Lake Washington (PDF) in English, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Lao, Ukrainian, Russian, and Spanish.
• Report - Evaluation of Contaminants in Fish from Lake Washington (PDF)

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Lake Whatcom

Location: Whatcom County

Contaminant: Mercury

Advice:

• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat Smallmouth Bass. Limit Yellow Perch to 1 meal per week. 
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory. 

Materials:

• Report - Lake Whatcom Fish Advisory (PDF)

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Okanogan River

Location: Okanogan County

Contaminant: DDT and PCBs

Advice:

• Limit Carp to 1 meal per month (Malott Bridge to Brewster Bridge and Chief Joseph State Park on the Columbia River (Lake Pateros)).
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory.

Materials:

• Fact Sheet - Lower Okanogan River Fish Advisory (PDF)
  • Spanish - Cuenca baja del río Okanogan (PDF)
• News Release - State issues fish consumption advisory for lower Okanogan River (PDF)

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Olympic National Park

Location: Lake Ozette

Contaminant: Mercury

Advice:

Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and children:

• Limit Yellow Perch ad Bullhead Catfish to one serving per week.
• Don't eat Largemouth Bass or Northern Pikeminnow

Materials:

• Flyer - Lake Ozette Fish Advisory (PDF)

Location: Mountain Lakes

Contaminant: Mercury

Advice:

Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and children:

• Limit Brook Trout and Cutthroat Trout to one serving per week
• Limit Rainbow Trout to 2-3 servings per week

Materials:

• Flyer - Mountain Lakes Fish Advisory (PDF)

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Pend Oreille River

Location: Pend Oreille County

Contaminant: Mercury

Advice:

• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat Northern Pike bigger than 24 inches. Northern Pike smaller than 24 inches should be limited to 2 meals per month.
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory.

Materials:

• Flyer - Pend Oreille River Fish Consumption Advisory (PDF)
• Technical Summary - Pend Oreille River Fish Consumption Advisory (PDF)
• News Release - Toxic chemicals prompt state to issue fish consumption advisory for Pend Oreille River

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Puget Sound

Location: Recreational Marine Areas 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13

Contaminant: Mercury and PCBs

Advice:

• Locate the Puget Sound marine area you fish in and follow the advice.

Materials:

• Fact Sheet - Puget Sound Fish Consumption Advice (PDF)
• Report - Human Health Evaluation of Contaminants in Puget Sound Fish (PDF)

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Spokane River

Location: Spokane County - Long Lake Dam to Idaho Border

Contaminant: PCBs, PBDEs, and Lead

Advice:

• Idaho Border to Upriver Dam: Don't eat any fish.
• Upriver Dam to Nine Mile Dam: Don't eat Largescale Sucker and limit all other fish to 1 meal per month.
• Lake Spokane (Long Lake): Limit Largescale Sucker and Brown Trout to 1 meal per month. Limit Mountain Whitefish to 1 meal per week.
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory.

Materials:

• Fact Sheet - Spokane River Fish Advisory (PDF)
  • Spanish - Advertencia Sobre la Pesca en el Rio Spokane (PDF) 
• Brochure - Spokane River Safe Fish Eating Guide (PDF) 
• News Release - Fish consumption advisories updated for Spokane River (Word)
• Report - Evaluation of PCBs, PBDEs, and Selected Metals in the Spokane River, Health Consultation (PDF)

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Walla Walla River

Location: Walla Walla County

Contaminant: PCBs

Advice:

• Limit Carp from the lower Walla Walla River (Dry Creek to the Columbia River) and Northern Pikeminnow from the upper Walla Walla River to 1 meal per month.
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should not eat Northern Pikeminnow and should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory. 

Materials:

• Fact Sheet - Walla Walla River Fish Consumption Advisory (PDF) 
• Brochure - Walla Walla River Fish Eating Guide (PDF)

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Wenatchee River

Location: Chelan County - Icicle Creek to Columbia River

Contaminant: PCBs

Advice:

• Icicle Creek to Columbia River: Don't eat Mountain Whitefish.
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory.

Materials:

• Fact Sheet - Wenatchee River Fish Consumption Advice (PDF)
• News Release - Contaminants lead to warning: Don't eat certain fish from Wenatchee River (Word)

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Yakima River

Location: Benton County - Prosser to Columbia River

Contaminant: PCBs

Advice:

• Prosser to the Columbia River: Limit Common Carp to 1 meal per week.
• Women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should also follow the Statewide Mercury Advisory.

Materials:

• Fact Sheet - Yakima River Fish Consumption Advice (PDF)
• News Release - Yakima River fish consumption advisory lifted due to lower DDT levels (PDF)

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Content Source: Fish Advisories Program