Salmon Fishing To Close Off Westport After This Saturday

Editor’s note: 4:22 p.m., August 21, 2024: Updated at bottom with WDFW’s rule change notice

Chinook and hatchery coho anglers have through this Saturday, August 24, to fish for salmon off of Westport, per an inseason rule-change notice out from federal overseers this afternoon.

“Effective 12:01 AM Sunday, August 25, the recreational fishery in the area between Queets River and Leadbetter Point (Westport Subarea) is closed to fishing for salmon. Possession of salmon on board a vessel is prohibited in the Westport Subarea,” reads the notice from the National Marine Fisheries Service.

It’s due to the Marine Area 2 hatchery coho quota, which is expected to be filled when boats come back in Saturday. Through this past Sunday, the quota sat at 89 percent, with the Chinook guideline at 60 percent.

“Coho catches in the ocean recreational salmon fishery this summer have been very good,” Kyle Adicks, WDFW Intergovernmental Salmon Manager, said on the agency’s blog this afternoon. “Marine Area 2 is nearing the total allowable coho catch quota, therefore it is necessary to close the fishery.”

According to WDFW stats, 26,420 of the 29,530 hatchery coho available in the subarea quota had been landed through last weekend, with nearly 5,000 of those caught last week, when catch rates hit 1.38 coho per angler, the highest mark of the season. Including Chinook, catch per angler was 1.71 salmon, just under the two-fish daily limit, pretty darn good fishing.

After Westport closes halfway through the weekend, only Pacific Ocean waters off Neah Bay on the Washington Coast will remain open for salmon fishing. Ilwaco reopened August 19-22, while yesterday was the last day for La Push.

Last year, all coastal ports were able to stay open through the end of September because none hit their coho quotas or Chinook guidelines. This year, however, managers began using a new ocean coho abundance forecasting tool after the old one lied to us one too many times. The model, which uses a blend of factors compared to two with the old one, spit out a total of 636,000 Columbia and Oregon Coast fish, well below 2023’s forecast of 1.135 million. The forecasts help determine how many salmon can be harvested and where.

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

Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores) recreational salmon season to close

Action: Closes salmon fishing in Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores) for the season.

Effective date: August 25, 2024, until further notice.

Species affected: Salmon.

Location: Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores).

Rules: Salmon fishing is closed. It is illegal to possess salmon onboard a vessel in Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores), including in transit.

Additional information: The Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores) catch quota for coho is projected to be attained by August 24, necessitating this closure. Anglers can check the emergency rules webpage for updates, or sign up for the Fishing Rule Change alerts email list on the WDFW webpage. See the WDFW “The Salmon Fishing Current” blog for additional Puget Sound Chinook fishery information.