West Coast Ocean Salmon Managers Set Tentative 2024 Seasons

Editor’s note, 8:15 p.m., April 10, 2024: Updated with a new fifth paragraph on WDFW’s initial Puget Sound salmon seasons and after the 14th paragraph with an ODFW action notice with more details on ocean fisheries.

West Coast ocean salmon seasons were tentatively set this afternoon in Seattle, and there’s good news for some fishermen and not so good news for others.

Highlights include a recreational quota of 41,000 Chinook for the Washington and North Oregon Coasts – a couple thousand more than last year – and a return to king fishing off Oregon south of Cape Falcon this spring and summer, where it was closed during the same timeframe in 2023.

But there will also be a total salmon closure for the second year in a row off of California due to low forecasted Klamath and Sacramento fall Chinook runs.

The sport, commercial and tribal ocean seasons unanimously adopted by members of the Pacific Fishery Management Council must still be signed off on by the US Secretary of Commerce, but today’s actions mark the culmination of weeks and weeks worth of salmon run modeling, negotiations, public comment and more.

Tentative Puget Sound and other salmon fisheries are expected to be announced tomorrow, but some initial details were offered this evening by WDFW, including Thursday-Saturday hatchery summer Chinook seasons starting July 18 in Marine Areas 7, 9, 10 and now 11 (10 and 11 will switch to seven days a week starting August 1), and an Area 11 Thursday-Saturday June 5-30 fishery. There will also be a late-season, September 27-October 15 nonselective coho season with an “increased” daily limit of two in Areas 5 and 6 in the eastern Straits, while the San Juans will also enjoy a two-silver bag September 1-29.

Back on the coast, salmon season will start as early as June 22 in Washington’s Marine Areas 1, 3 and 4 for daily fishing, with Area 2 opening June 30 under an initial Sunday-Thursday season that will transition to seven days a week starting July 14.

In a late amendment, the last possible day of season off Westport, La Push and Neah Bay was shaved down a week from September 22 to September 15 to adjust for expected Washington Coast salmon returns, but Ilwaco could remain open through September 30, depending on the quota.

This year’s hatchery coho quota between Washington’s Neah Bay and Oregon Cape Falcon of 79,800 is just half of last year’s due to a lower forecast spit out by a new ensemble forecasting model that uses ocean condition inputs and managers believe is more accurate than the old tool based on much more limited data.

Subquotas are as follows: Ilwaco/Marine Area 1, North Oregon Coast: 12,150 Chinook and 39,900 hatchery coho, two-salmon daily limit but only one Chinook; Westport/Marine Area 2: 17,430 Chinook and 29,530 hatchery coho, two-salmon daily limit but only one Chinook; La Push/Marine Area 3: 1,630 Chinook and 2,070 hatchery coho, two-salmon daily limit but only one Chinook; Neah Bay/Marine Area 4: 9,430 Chinook and 8,300 hatchery coho, two-salmon daily limit but only one Chinook

Where Oregon Chinook anglers out of ports between Garibaldi and Brookings had to make due with coho, bottomfish and tuna through the end of August in 2023 due to very poor California Chinook expectations, this year they will be able to pursue kings from now through October 31, news that was immediately welcomed by South Coast skipper Andy Martin who celebrated the 108-day season.

Oregon’s Central Coast hatchery coho quota of 45,000 is well below last year’s 110,000, also due to that forecast and new modeling, and season is scheduled to run through either that lower figure of August 18 north of Humbug Mountain, August 4 south of there.

September’s nonselective coho fishery between Falcon and Humbug has a quota of 25,000 and season would run through the end of the month unless the quota is met.

Further to the south, at the request of California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton Bonham, PFMC adopted closures of both sport and commercial salmon seasons off of the Golden State. Bonham said he would also be asking the California Fish and Game Commission to close Chinook fishing in rivers too, per a letter posted by sister publication California Sportsman.

John North, ODFW’s representative on the council, acknowledged to council members that 7.5 percent of the expected catch of some 100,000 salmon this season off his state’s coast will have otherwise been bound for California’s Klamath and Sacramento Rivers.

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THE FOLLOWING IS AN ACTION NOTICE FROM THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

 OCEAN SALMON ACTION NOTICE: The Pacific Fishery Management Council finalized their recommendations for 2024 ocean salmon seasons on Wednesday, April 10.  The adopted seasons will be available at the PMFC’s website (www.pcouncil.org) in Preseason Report III, and graphics of the Oregon recreational and commercial troll seasons are available here: ODFW Ocean Salmon Management Program.  Seasons from May 16, 2024 forward are not official until final approval by the Secretary of Commerce and adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for waters within 3 nautical miles of shore.

Conservation concerns for both Sacramento and Klamath River fall Chinook salmon stocks were constraints on seasons from Cape Falcon through California.  This year’s Columbia basin hatchery coho salmon abundance is forecast to be less than half of the preseason forecast abundance in 2023, but the natural production forecasts for both lower Columbia River and Oregon Coastal stocks are strong with coho quotas and seasons reflecting the available abundances.  Coho fisheries were most constrained by sharing of the Lower Columbia River Natural (LCN) coho and the Southern Oregon Northern California Coastal Coho (SONCC).

Recreational Season Summary:

The all-salmon season North of Cape Falcon will open on June 22 and continue through the earlier of September 30 or the hatchery mark-selective coho quota of 39,900.  There is also a guideline in this area for 12,510 Chinook.  The daily bag limit will be two salmon, but no more than one Chinook and all coho must have a healed adipose fin clip.  Minimum length for Chinook is 22” and the coho minimum length is 16”.

Recreational Chinook seasons on the central Oregon Coast from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. opened on March 15 and will continue through October 31.  During October the fishery is only open shoreward of the 40-fathom management line.  The Chinook minimum length from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. is 24”.

The area from Humbug Mt. to the OR/CA Border will open for recreational Chinook on May 16 and continue through August 31.  The Chinook minimum length from Humbug Mt. to the OR/CA Border is 24”.

The hatchery mark-selective coho salmon season from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. will be open from June 15 through the earlier of August 18 or the Cape Falcon to OR/CA Border quota of 45,000 adipose fin-clipped coho. There will also be a non-selective coho season from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. which will be open September 1 through the earlier of September 30 or the quota of 25,000 non-mark selective coho (clipped or unclipped coho allowed). The coho minimum length from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. is 16”.  

From Humbug Mt. to the OR/CA Border, the hatchery mark-selective coho salmon season will be open from June 15 through the earlier of August 4 or the Cape Falcon to OR/CA Border quota of 45,000 adipose fin-clipped coho.  The shortened coho season in this area was a result of the conservation limitations for the Southern Oregon Northern California Coastal (SONCC) coho stock. The coho minimum length from Humbug Mt. to the OR/CA Border is 16”.

All recreational anglers are limited to no more than 2 single point barbless hook per line when fishing for salmon, and for any species when salmon are on board the vessel.

Commercial Troll Season Summary:

The commercial troll salmon seasons north of Cape Falcon will have limited Chinook quotas again this year.  The fishery will be managed by quotas, season length, and vessel landing week (Thurs.-Wed.) limits.  The early all salmon except coho season opens May 1 and will continue through the earlier of June 29 or the overall quota of 24,600 Chinook salmon, or the Leadbetter Pt. to Cape Falcon subarea cap of 5,710 Chinook.  The early season will have a 60 Chinook per vessel per landing week (Thurs-Wed) limit.

The summer all-salmon fishery north of Cape Falcon will open on July 1 and continue through the earlier of the overall Chinook quota of 16,400 Chinook or quota of 15,200 adipose fin-clipped coho.  The season will open for the period of July 1-10 with open period landing and possession limits of 70 Chinook and 100 adipose fin-clipped coho. Beginning July 11, the fishery will transition to landing and possession limits of 120 Chinook and 100 adipose fin-clipped coho per vessel per week (Thurs-Wed).

Minimum lengths for the commercial troll salmon seasons north of Cape Falcon are 27” for Chinook and 16” for coho.  Vessels with catch from this area must land in the area (and within the Columbia River West of Tongue Pt.) or into Garibaldi.  Mandatory call-in requirements within an hour of landing are in place for all troll salmon seasons in this area.  Vessels must call in to (541)857-2546 with vessel name, vessel number, number of harvested salmon by species, port of landing, destination of fish, and estimated time of delivery.  The mandatory report may alternately be made by email to nfalcon.trollreport@odfw.oregon.gov   Oregon permitted vessels may only fish south of Leadbetter Pt., Washington and outside of 3 nautical miles of shore between the Columbia River and Leadbetter Pt., Washington.

NOTE:  Any boats fishing in the area North of Cape Falcon and retaining Chinook that are greater than 27” but less than 28” must land all salmon into ports N. of Cape Falcon, except that boats may land Chinook that are less than 28” but greater than 27” into Garibaldi if the season S. of Cape Falcon has been closed more than 48 hours.

In the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. the all-salmon-except coho seasons will be open for the following periods:  April 16-May 29; June 1-5, 12-16, & 26-30; July 26-30; Aug. 4-8; and Oct. 1-31. 

There will be an all-salmon season from Sept. 1 through the earlier of Sept. 30 or the coho quota of 2,500 coho.  Vessels in September and October are limited to no more than 75 Chinook per vessel per landing week (Thurs.-Wed.).  In September the coho landing and possession limit is 25 coho per landing week.  If the coho quota is met prior to September 30, then the season will continue for all salmon except coho.  Minimum lengths from Cape Falcon to the OR/CA Border are 28” for Chinook, and 16” for coho.

Vessels landing any coho in this fishery are required to report their landing within one hour of delivery or prior to transport away from the point of landing by phone call to (541) 857-2546 with vessel name, vessel number, number of harvested salmon by species, port of landing, destination of fish, and estimated time of delivery.  The mandatory report may alternately be made by email to nfalcon.trollreport@odfw.oregon.gov.

From Humbug Mt. to the OR/CA border, the all-salmon-except coho season will only be open April 16-30.  Vessels may land catch taken in openings from the area from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. into Gold Beach or Brookings at any time during the general seasons.  All salmon caught off Oregon from Cape Falcon to the OR/CA Border must be landed and delivered in the State of Oregon.

Other Information:

Both commercial troll salmon fishermen and recreational anglers should review the full regulations prior to participating in the ocean salmon fisheries.  Single point barbless hooks are required in all ocean salmon seasons.  Commercial salmon trollers are reminded that they are restricted to no more than 4 spreads per wire for all seasons from Cape Falcon to the OR/CA border.