Neah Bay Chinook Limit Being Reduced To 1 A Day

THE FOLLOWING IS A RULE CHANGE FROM THE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

Neah Bay (Marine Area 4) Chinook limit reduced beginning Friday, June 24

Action: Reduces the Chinook portion of the salmon daily limit at Neah Bay (Marine Area 4)

Species affected: Salmon

Location: Neah Bay (Marine Area 4)

Effective dates and rules west of Bonilla-Tatoosh line:

• June 18 through June 23: Daily limit 2. Chinook min. size 24”. Hatchery-marked coho min. size 16”. Other salmon species no min. size. Release wild coho.
• June 24 through July 31: Daily limit 2; including no more than 1 Chinook. Chinook min. size 24”. Hatchery-marked coho min. size 16”. Other salmon species no min. size. Release wild coho.
• Aug. 1 through Sept. 30: Daily limit 2; including no more than 1 Chinook. Chinook min. size 24”. Hatchery-marked coho min. size 16”. Other salmon species no min. size. Release wild coho and chum.

Effective dates and rules east of Bonilla-Tatoosh line:

• June 18 through June 23: Daily limit 2. Chinook min. size 24”. Hatchery-marked coho min. size 16”. Other salmon species no min. size. Release wild coho. Waters east of a true north-south line through Sail Rock are closed.
• June 24 through July 31: Daily limit 2; including no more than 1 Chinook. Chinook min. size 24”. Hatchery-marked coho min. size 16”. Other salmon species no min. size. Release wild coho. Waters east of a true north-south line through Sail Rock are closed.
• Aug. 1 through Sept. 30: Daily limit 2. Hatchery-marked coho min. size 16”. Other salmon species no min. size. Release Chinook, wild coho and chum.

Reason for action: More than 12 percent of the Chinook guideline at Neah Bay (Marine Area 4) was taken on the first two open days of the season (June 18 and 19). A reduction in the Chinook daily limit is necessary to preserve the season length while avoiding exceedance of the Chinook guideline and maximizing catch of the available coho quota.

Additional information: The catch quotas for the recreational fisheries North of Cape Falcon in 2022 are 27,000 Chinook and 168,000 hatchery-marked coho, with a Marine Area 4 Chinook guideline of 6,110 and a Marine Area 4 hatchery-marked coho quota of 17,470.

Ilwaco, Westport, La Push and Neah Bay (Marine Areas 1 through 4) are scheduled to close September 30, but areas could close earlier if quotas are met.