Wild Coho Retention OKed From Cape Falcon North To Neah Bay
THE FOLLOWING ARE A PRESS RELEASE AND RECREATIONAL OCEAN SALMON NOTICE FROM THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AND FISHING RULE CHANGE NOTICES FROM THE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
Beginning Saturday, Aug. 26, ocean salmon anglers may keep any coho (unmarked e.g. unclipped or marked/clipped) when fishing from Cape Falcon, OR to Leadbetter Pt., WA, state and federal fishery managers announced today.
Wild coho salmon are abundant along the Oregon coast this year, marking the third consecutive year of strong returns. Early season regulations allowed the retention of marked/clipped coho only, but retention has been low due to poor weather conditions and low mark rates.\
With a large marked coho salmon quota remaining for the Cape Falcon to Leadbetter Pt. area season scheduled through Sept. 30, fishery managers can add wild coho retention while reducing the overall quota to keep impacts to ESA-listed species less than the pre-season estimates under earlier fishing regulations.
The daily bag limit remains two salmon and no more than one can be a Chinook.
Additional ocean opportunity for wild coho will soon open south of Cape Falcon, too. From Sept. 1-30 or until the quota is met, ocean salmon anglers may also keep any coho from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt.
In addition, Chinook fishing reopens Sept. 1 from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. after being closed since spring due to extremely low returns of Sacramento and Klamath River fall Chinook. By Sept. 1, these fall Chinook have left the area and Oregon’s coastal fall Chinook have begun staging near the coast where they will comprise most of the catch.
All salmon fishing is closed from Humbug Mt to the OR/CA border beginning Sept. 1.
See a summary of ocean salmon seasons with today’s changes at the Marine Fishing Report
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The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in consultation with the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), the State of Oregon, the State of Washington, and fishery representatives met today via conference call and have taken the following in-season management action related to the recreational ocean salmon season from Leadbetter Point, Washington to Cape Falcon, Oregon:
ACTIONS TAKEN:
- Effective 12:01 AM Saturday, August 26, 2023, the coho quota for the recreational salmon fishery in the Columbia River subarea (Cape Falcon to Leadbetter Point) is adjusted on an impact neutral basis, from mark-selective to non-mark-selective, and the adjusted non-mark-selective quota is additionally adjusted downward by 10% as a precautionary measure. The non-mark-selective coho quota is 21,740.
- Effective 12:01 AM Saturday, August 26, 2023, the daily limit is modified to 2 salmon per day, only one of which may be a Chinook.
RATIONALE: Harvest of hatchery coho through August 25 is estimated at 15,545 coho out of the 79,800 mark selective coho quota leaving a remainder of 64,255 hatchery coho. Mark rates in the fishery have been lower than projected in the preseason process. By making this inseason adjustment, which is consistent with preseason planning and conservation guidelines, the fishery can minimize hook and release impacts on non-clipped coho, and is expected to be open through most of September.
Visit https://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/ for more information on Oregon’s ocean salmon seasons and fisheries.
Marine Area 1 recreational salmon season update
Action: Allows retention of wild coho.
Effective date: Aug. 26 through Sept. 30
Species affected: Salmon.
Location: Marine Area 1.
Rules: Daily limit 2 including no more than 1 Chinook. Chinook min. size 22”. Coho min. size 16”. Other salmon species no min. size.
Reason for action: Percentages of adipose marked coho have been lower than expected in ocean salmon fisheries this season. Quotas have been adjusted downward in a manner to ensure that impacts to wild coho are not increased from preseason expected rates and will remain within conservation limits by allowing their retention.
Additional information: Columbia River Control Zone is closed to fishing for salmon, except open to fishing from the north jetty when adjacent waters north of the Control Zone are open to fishing for salmon or the Buoy 10 fishery is open to fishing for salmon.
Marine Areas 1 through 4 are scheduled to close Sept. 30, but areas could close earlier if quotas are met.
Information contact: Fish Program 360-902-2700.
Marine Area 2 recreational salmon season update
Action: Allows retention of wild coho.
Effective date: Aug. 26 through Sept. 30, 2023.
Species affected: Salmon.
Location: Marine Area 2.
Salmon Rules: Daily limit 2 including no more than 1 Chinook. Chinook min. size 22”. Coho min. size 16”. Other salmon species no min. size.
Reason for action: Reason for action: Percentages of adipose marked coho have been lower than expected in ocean salmon fisheries this season. Quotas have been adjusted downward in a manner to ensure that impacts to wild coho are not increased from preseason expected rates and will remain within conservation limits by allowing their retention.
Additional information: Grays Harbor (Area 2-2) west of the Buoy 13 line are also open under the same rules as Area 2. Regulations for Area 2-1 changed from being concurrent with ocean rules in August, details are listed in the 2023-24 Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet.
Grays Harbor Control Zone is open for salmon through Sept. 30, 2023.
Marine Areas 1 through 4 are scheduled to close Sept. 30, but areas may close earlier if quotas are met.
Information contact: Fish Program 360-902-2700
Marine Area 3 recreational salmon season update
Action: Allows retention of wild coho.
Effective date: Aug. 26 through Oct. 7, 2023
Species affected: Salmon.
Location: Marine Area 3.
Rules:
- Aug. 26 through Sept. 30: Daily limit 2. Chinook min. size 24”. Coho min. size 16”. Other salmon species no min. size. Release chum.
- Oct.1 through Oct. 2: Closed.
- Oct. 3 through Oct. 7: Open only in the area north of 47°50’00 N. lat. and south of 48°00’00” N. lat. Daily limit 1 Chinook only. Chinook min. size 24”. Release all salmon other than Chinook.
Reason for action: Percentages of adipose marked coho have been lower than expected in ocean salmon fisheries this season. Quotas have been adjusted downward in a manner to ensure that impacts to wild coho are not increased from preseason expected rates and will remain within conservation limits by allowing their retention.
Additional information: Marine Areas 1 through 4 are scheduled to close Sept. 30, with an additional late season opening in Area 3 in early October, but areas could close earlier if quotas are met.
Information contact: Fish Program, 360-902-2700
Marine Area 4 recreational salmon season update
Action: Allows retention of wild coho west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line. Closes salmon fishing east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line.
Effective date: Aug. 26 through Sept. 30, 2023.
Species affected: Salmon.
Location: Marine Area 4.
Rules west of Bonilla-Tatoosh line: Daily limit 2. Chinook min. size 24”. Coho min. size 16”. Other salmon species no min. size. Release chum.
Rules east of Bonilla-Tatoosh line: Closed.
Reason for action: Percentages of adipose marked coho have been lower than expected in ocean salmon fisheries this season. Quotas have been adjusted downward in a manner to ensure that impacts to wild coho are not increased from preseason expected rates and will remain within conservation limits by allowing their retention.
Closure of Area 4 east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line is needed to provide geographic separation, enhance compliance and facilitate enforcement of fisheries with different retention rules in Area 4 west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line and Area 5.
Additional information: Beginning Aug. 26, it will be unlawful to land or possess Chinook or wild coho in Marine Area 5. (Chinook and wild coho caught west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line may not be landed or possessed in Marine Area 5.)
Marine Areas 1 through 4 are scheduled to close Sept. 30, but areas could close earlier if quotas are met.
Information contact: Fish Program 360-902-2700
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