Oregon Coast Fall Chinook, Wild Coho Seasons To Be Discussed By Commission

Oregon Coast fall Chinook and wild coho season proposals are “similar” to last year’s.

So says ODFW ahead of this Friday’s Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting on the topic, when public testimony will also be taken.

SIUSLAW RIVER ANGLERS LIKE KURT RUSSELL WOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP TWO WILD FALL CHINOOK THIS SEASON UNDER RULES PROPOSED BY THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE. KURT’S BUDDY CARL LEWALLEN SENT THE PIC. (KNIFE PHOTO CONTEST)

Here’s a look at what’s on the table for Chinook:

ODFW points to adaptive management in its coastal Chinook plans, environmental factors “undermining assumptions and increasing forecast uncertainty,” confounding signals from nearby populations and “a generally increasing freshwater harvest rate in some rivers … that may indicate increasing vulnerability to harvest” in arguing for restrictive limits and seasons in years such as last year and 2024.

2023’s fall Chinook seasons could have been even more conservative had ODFW chosen alternative 1, but it went with door 2 after 2022’s season was very restricted up and down the coast.

The news is brighter on the silver side. With about 48,000 more wild coho expected to be swimming in the Pacific off Oregon than last year, here’s what ODFW is proposing for river fisheries:

“The proposed fisheries are precautionary in nature but provide opportunity in rivers that traditionally have limited opportunity for harvest of coho,” ODFW says.

The final word on wild coho seasons won’t be rolled out until midsummer or later because the National Marine Fisheries Service needs to formally approve them as coastal stocks are federally listed.