WDFW NEWS RELEASE – April 15, 2016
Washington’s ocean waters: The Pacific Fisheries Management Council approved a recreational chinook catch quota of 35,000 fish, which is 29,000 fish decline from 2015’s quota of 64,000 chinook. The PFMC, which establishes fishing seasons in ocean waters three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast, also adopted a quota of 18,900 coho for this year’s recreational ocean fishery – about 131,900 fish fewer than last year’s quota (150,800 coho).
Recreational ocean salmon fisheries for chinook will be open daily beginning July 1 in all four marine areas. Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) will close Aug. 31 while the other three marine areas will close Aug. 21. The areas could close earlier if the catch quota is met.
Anglers will be required to release coho salmon in marine areas 2-4 but can retain hatchery coho in Marine Area 1. Anglers will have a daily limit of one salmon in Marine Area 2. In Marine Area 1 anglers can retain two salmon, only one of which can be chinook. Areas 3 and 4 have a two-salmon daily limit.
Columbia River: The popular Buoy 10 fishery near the mouth of the Columbia River will be announced early next week. Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon are still working out the details of the fishery, which is expected to benefit from a large run of chinook salmon to the river this year.
For the third-straight year, during fall fisheries, anglers fishing from the same boat may continue fishing for salmon until all anglers have reached their daily limits in the following areas:
The mainstem Columbia River from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Lewis River will be open for hatchery coho from Aug. 1 through Dec. 31. Anglers will be allowed to retain one adult chinook as part of their two-adult daily limit from Aug. 1 through Sep. 14. During Sep. 8 through Sep. 14, adult chinook retention is restricted to hatchery chinook only. From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, anglers can retain two adult chinook daily.
The Lewis River upstream to Steamboat Landing Park dock/Marker #50, near Washougal, will be open Aug. 1 through Dec. 31 for chinook and hatchery coho, with a daily limit of two adult salmon.
Columbia River anglers are reminded that retention of sockeye and chum salmon is prohibited during the fall season.
The summer season on the mainstem Columbia River from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam will be open from June 16 through July 31 for hatchery summer chinook and sockeye. The daily limit will be two adult salmonids (chinook and steelhead must be adipose fin-clipped). All sockeye are considered adults in the daily limit.
The summer season from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge will be open from June 16 through July 31 for hatchery summer chinook and sockeye. The daily limit will be two adult salmonids (chinook and steelhead must be adipose fin-clipped). All sockeye are considered adults in the daily limit.