Larger quotas mean recreational anglers can catch more ocean salmon this summer

The recreational ocean salmon fishing season includes larger catch quotas for chinook and coho, but will not include an early season for hatchery chinook. For the waters of the South Sound, early indications are the upcoming season will be similar to last year.

At its meeting in Sacramento, the Pacific Fishery Management Council on Tuesday set the chinook quota for areas along the state’s coast at 45,000 fish. The coho quota is 42,000 fish, up 222 percent from last year.

Last year’s quotas were 35,000 chinook and 18,900 coho.

Fishing in Marine Areas 1, 3 and 4 will open June 24. Marine Area 2, the waters off Westport, will not open until July 1.

The season is scheduled to end Sept. 4, unless the chinook or coho quotas are reached earlier.

The Buoy 10 fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River will open Aug. 1 with an expected landed catch of 15,000 marked coho in August and September.

At the same time, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and tribal co-managers finished negotiations for fisheries in Puget Sound.

According to state officials, anglers in Tacoma and Olympia will have increased opportunities to fish for coho in Puget Sound. Chinook opportunities are expected to be similar to last season. Because the pink salmon run is expected to be much lower than in recent years, there will be no “bonus bag” limits for pinks.

The state also could not reach an agreement with the Skokomish Tribe to reopen a portion of the lower river after it was closed last season following a ruling that said the entire river was within the tribe’s reservation.

Details on seasons for specific areas of the Sound and its tributaries were not available.

Here is a look at each marine area:

Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay): June 24-Sept. 4 or when the quota of 4,370 marked coho is met with a subarea guideline of 7,900 chinook. Fishing will be open seven days per week. There will be a two-fish daily limit. Anglers must release wild coho. No chum salmon can be kept beginning Aug. 1.

Marine Area 3 (La Push): June 24-Sept. 4 or reaching the 1,090 marked coho subarea quota with a subarea guideline of 2,500 chinook. Fishing will be open seven days per week, with a daily limit of two fish. All wild coho must be released.

Marine Area 2 (Westport): Season will run July 1-Sept. 4 or when the 15,540 marked coho subarea quota with a subarea guideline of 21,400 chinook is met. Open seven days per week. Daily limit is two fish per day. No more than one can be a chinook. All wild coho must be released.

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco): Open June 24-Sept. 4 or when the 21,000 marked coho subarea quota with a subarea guideline of 13,200 chinook is met. Open seven days a week. Daily limit is two fish, no more than one of which can be a chinook. All wild coho must be released.

This story was originally published April 10, 2017 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Larger quotas mean recreational anglers can catch more ocean salmon this summer."