Inseason Halibut Rule Changes From ODFW Benefit Anglers

THE FOLLOWING IS AN OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE PRESS RELEASE

ODFW announces two opportunity increases for the recreational Pacific halibut fishery.

Columbia River Subarea all-depth fishery

Anglers can now fish two extra days – June 13 and 20 – in addition to being open Thursdays and Sundays through June or until quota is caught. 

Recent high winds created less than ideal ocean conditions during the first month of halibut fishing so angling effort and catch were low. The two added days give anglers more opportunity to harvest halibut from the 18,375-pound initial quota. About 11,000 pounds remain.

Bag limit increase, Central Coast and Southern Oregon subareas

Beginning June 12, anglers can add another halibut to their cooler for a two-fish bag limit in these two subareas.  For the Central Coast Subarea, the increased bag limit applies to the nearshore fishery as well as the spring and summer all-depth fisheries.

After a month of halibut fishing, about 120,000 pounds of halibut quota remain unharvested in the Central Coast Subarea. The halibut retained are larger this year than last year, though the fishery is tracking like 2022 when some quota was left on the table.

Anglers are reminded to immediately record landed halibut on the combined angling tag. More information on the recreational Pacific halibut fishery can be found here.