April 06, 2007
Contact: Pat Pattillo, WDFW, (360) 902-2705
Tony Meyer, NWIFC, (360) 438-1181, ext. 325

SEATAC – With lower chinook and coho salmon returns expected back to numerous rivers in Washington, state and tribal co-managers today agreed on a conservation-based fishing package that focuses fisheries on abundant hatchery fish and healthy salmon runs.

Salmon populations listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) will continue to restrict fisheries along the coast, as well as those in Puget Sound and the Columbia River, said Jeff Koenings, director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

“We must recover and protect wild salmon populations that are in need of help, and this year’s package of recreational and commercial fisheries continues to move us toward that goal,” said Koenings. “Fisheries must be focused on hatchery salmon, allowing more wild fish onto the spawning grounds, where habitat improvements are currently under way.”

Most natural salmon production has been lost to damaged and vanishing habitat, said Billy Frank Jr., chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.

“This requires the co-managers to be increasingly precise in our management,” he said. “We just don’t have any room for error. The salmon is too important. If we err, it must be on the side of conservation.”

Treaty tribal fisheries will again be severely limited this year to meet recovery goals for wild salmon, Frank said.

This year’s recreational fishing package includes carefully constrained fisheries that not only meet the necessary conservation needs but also provide meaningful opportunities for sustainable fisheries, Koenings said. This package is the fundamental foundation for a new approach to the future of sport fishing in Washington, he added.

For example, anglers this year in Puget Sound can participate in seven new recreational mark-selective chinook fisheries – four during the summer and three in the winter – which require fishers to safely release any wild fish they intercept while targeting and keeping fin-clipped hatchery salmon. The co-managers agreed to a comprehensive in-season monitoring and enforcement plan to ensure the fisheries are meeting their intended management and conservation goals.

“We were able to work through some very tough issues to put together this fishing package for anglers this year,” said Koenings. “We would not have accomplished this without the cooperation and participation of our constituents.”

The fishing package also includes recreational ocean quotas of 16,250 for chinook and 117,600 for coho. Those quotas were approved by the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), which sets harvest limits in waters three to 200 miles offshore. The chinook quota is much lower than last year, while the coho harvest level is higher.

Anglers will have an opportunity to take advantage of an abundant return of pink salmon this year. About 3.3 million pink salmon are expected to come back to Puget Sound streams, nearly 1.3 million more fish than forecast in 2005. The smallest of the Pacific salmon species, pink salmon return to Washington’s waters only in odd-numbered years.

“Bonus” bag limits for pink salmon will be established in marine areas 5 through 11, except in Marine Area 8-1, where pink retention will not be allowed because of anticipated low returns to the Skagit River.

Details of the salmon seasons will be provided in the upcoming 2007-2008 Fishing in Washington pamphlet.

Recreational fisheries this year include:

Marine Area 1 (Leadbetter Point south):

July 1-Sept. 30: 58,800 coho sub quota. Open seven days per week, two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Release wild coho. Minimum size for chinook is 24 inches. Minimum size for coho is 16 inches. Chinook guideline is 4,300.

Buoy 10:

Aug. 1-Sept. 30: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Closed to chinook retention Aug. 1-Aug. 21 and Sept. 4-Sept. 30. Minimum size for chinook is 24 inches; minimum size for coho is 16 inches. Release sockeye, chum and wild coho.

Mainstem Columbia River (Rocky Point/Tongue Point upstream to Bonneville Dam):

Aug. 1-Dec. 31: Six fish daily limit, no more than two adults, only one of which may be chinook. Closed to retention of chinook Sept. 5-Sept. 30 downstream of Lewis River. Minimum size for salmon is 12 inches. Release sockeye, chum and wild coho.

Marine Area 2 (Queets River to Leadbetter Point):

July 1-Sept. 16: 43,510 coho sub quota. Open Sunday through Thursday, two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Release wild coho. Minimum size for chinook is 24 inches; minimum size for coho is 16 inches. Chinook guideline is 9,400. Grays Harbor Control Zone closed beginning Aug. 1.

Area 2.1 [east of a line from Leadbetter Point to Cape Shoalwater (Willapa Bay)]:

July 1-July 31: Open concurrent with Marine Area 2 when Area 2 is open for salmon. Area 2 rules apply.

Aug. 1-Aug. 15: Six fish daily limit, no more than two adults; 12 inch minimum size limit. Barbed hooks allowed.

Aug. 16-Jan. 31: Six fish daily limit, no more than three adults; no more than two chinook; 12 inch minimum size. Barbed hooks allowed. Release chum.

Area 2.2 [east of a line between tips of exposed jetties (Grays Harbor)]:

West of Buoy 13 line: July 1-July 31, open concurrent with Area 2 when it is open for salmon. Area 2 rules apply.

East of Buoy 13 line: Closed for salmon through Sept. 30.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a wild adult coho, and no more than one chinook: 12 inch minimum size; single-point barbless hooks required. Release chum.

Nov. 1-Nov. 30: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a wild adult coho; release all chinook and chum. 12 inch minimum size limit; single-point barbless hooks required.

Marine Area 3 (Cape Alava to Queets River):

July 3-Sept. 15: 2,960 coho sub quota. Open Tuesday through Saturday, two fish daily limit, no more than one of which may be a chinook plus one additional pink salmon beginning Aug. 1. Release wild coho. Minimum size for chinook is 24 inches, and minimum size for coho is 16 inches. Chinook guideline is 725 fish.

Sept. 22-Oct. 7: LaPush area late season fishery. Two fish daily limit, no more than one of which may be a chinook. Release wild coho. Minimum size for chinook is 24 inches, and minimum size for coho is 16 inches. Fishery restricted to an area north of 47 degrees 50.00 latitude and south of 48 degrees 00.00 north latitude.

Marine Area 4 (U.S. /Canada border to Cape Alava and East to Sekiu River):

July 3-Sept. 15: 12,230 coho sub quota. Open Tuesday through Saturday, two fish per day, only one of which may be a chinook, plus one additional pink salmon beginning Aug. 1. Release wild coho; minimum size for chinook is 24 inches; minimum size for coho is 16 inches. Release chum Aug. 1-Sept. 15. Chinook guideline: 1,725; chinook non-retention east of Bonilla-Tatoosh line beginning Aug. 1. Closed to salmon angling July 3-July 31 east of Sail Rock. Closed to salmon angling inside the area bounded by a line from Kydaka Point to Shipwreck Point.

Marine Area 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point):

May 1-June 30: Closed.

July 1-Aug. 31: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon. Chinook 22 inch minimum size. Release wild chinook, wild coho and chum. Areas 5 and 6 season quota of 4,000 landed chinook; afterwards, release all chinook. South of Kydaka Point-Shipwreck Point line – closed to salmon angling. Single-point barbless hooks only.

Sept. 1-Sept. 15: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon. Release all chinook, wild coho and chum. South of Kydaka Point-Shipwreck Point line – closed to salmon angling. Single-point barbless hooks only.

Sept. 16-Sept. 30: Two fish daily limit. Release all chinook and chum. South of Kydaka Point-Shipwreck Point line – closed to salmon angling.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Closed.

Nov. 1-Nov. 30: Two fish daily limit, no more than one chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Dec. 1-Feb. 15: Closed.

Feb. 16-April 10: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

April 11-30: Closed.

Marine Area 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait):

May 1-June 30: Closed.

July 1-Aug. 31: Chinook Selective Fishery: West of a true north/south line through the #2 Buoy immediately east of Ediz Hook; two fish daily limit plus two additional pink salmon. Chinook 22 inch minimum size; release wild chinook, wild coho and chum. Areas 5 and 6 season quota of 4,000 landed chinook, or 62 days of fishing. Port Angeles Harbor – closed to salmon angling. Freshwater Bay – closed to angling. Single-point barbless hooks required.

July 1-Aug. 31: Chinook Release Area: East of a true north/south line through the #2 Buoy immediately east of Ediz Hook; two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon; release all chinook, wild coho, and chum. Dungeness Bay closed to salmon angling. Single-point barbless hooks required.

Sept. 1-Sept. 30: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon. Release all chinook, wild coho and chum. Freshwater Bay – closed to angling. Port Angeles Harbor – closed to salmon angling. Dungeness Bay closed to salmon angling. Single-point barbless hooks required.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Two fish daily limit, no more than one chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Freshwater Bay closed to angling. Port Angeles Harbor closed to salmon angling. Sequim Bay closed to salmon angling. Discovery Bay, south of a line from Gardiner boat launch to Beckett Point, closed to salmon angling.

Nov. 1-Feb. 15: Closed

Feb. 16-April 10: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Dungeness Bay closed to salmon angling.

April 11-April 30: Closed.

Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands):

May 1-June 30: Closed.

July 1-July 31: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon. Only one salmon may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Southern Rosario Strait/Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca closed to salmon angling. Bellingham and Samish bays closed to salmon angling. Yellow and Low Island preserve closed to salmon fishing.

Aug. 1-Sept. 30: Two fish limit, plus two additional pink salmon. Only one salmon may be a chinook, release chum and wild coho. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Southern Rosario Strait/Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca closed to salmon angling. Bellingham Bay closed to salmon angling Aug. 1-15; Samish Bay closed to salmon angling. Single-point barbless hooks only. Yellow and Low Island preserve closed to salmon fishing.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Samish Bay closed Oct. 1-Oct. 15. Yellow and Low Island preserve closed to salmon fishing.

Nov. 1-Jan. 31: Closed

Feb.1-Feb. 29: Two fish daily limit, release wild chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Single-point barbless hooks only. Yellow and Low Island preserve closed to salmon fishing.

March 1-April 15: One fish limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Yellow and Low Island preserve closed to salmon fishing.

April 16-30: Closed.

Bellingham Bay terminal area:
May 1-Aug. 15: Closed to salmon angling.

Aug. 16-Oct. 31: Four fish limit, no more than two chinook (minimum size 22 inches), release pink salmon. Samish Bay closed to salmon angling through Oct. 15.

Nov. 1-April 15: Same as Area 7.

April 16-April 30: Closed to salmon angling.

Marine Area 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island, and Skagit Bay):

May 1-July 31: Closed to salmon angling.

Aug. 1-Sept. 30: Two fish limit, release chinook and pink salmon.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Closed.

Nov. 1-April 30: Two fish limit, chinook 22 inch minimum size, release wild chinook. Single-point-barbless hooks only.

Marine Area 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner):

May 1-July 31: Closed to salmon angling.

Aug. 1-Sept. 30: Two fish limit, plus two additional pink salmon, release chinook.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Closed.

Nov. 1-April 30: Two fish limit, chinook 22 inch minimum size, release wild chinook. Single-point barbless hooks only.

Tulalip Terminal Area Recreational Fishery: Same as Area 8-2, except during the period June 1 through Sept. 24. Open 12:01 a.m. Friday – 11:59 a.m. Monday of each week. Except closed June 23. Open within Tulalip Terminal Area boundaries only. Closed east of a line from Mission Point to Hermosa Point. Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet):

May 1-July 15: Closed.

July 16-Aug. 15: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon; release wild chinook and chum. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Single-point barbless hooks only. Hatchery chinook retention may close earlier if combined Marine Area 9 and 10 quota of 7,000 hatchery chinook is attained. Closed south and west of a line from Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point.

Aug. 16-Sept. 30: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon; release chinook and chum.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Two fish daily limit, release chinook.

Nov. 1-Nov. 30: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Dec. 1-Jan. 15: Closed.

Jan. 16-April 15: Two fish limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches, release wild chinook. Single-point barbless hooks only. Closed south and west of a line from Foulweather Bluff to Olele Point.

Edmonds Pier: Open year-round with a two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook; plus two additional pink salmon from July 1 through Sept. 30. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Chum must be released Aug. 1-Sept. 30.

Marine Area 10 (Seattle-Bremerton):

May 1-May 31: Closed

June 1-June 30: Waters north of Meadow Point/Point Monroe line, catch and release. Single-point barbless hooks only.

July 1-July 15: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon, chinook release.

July 16-Aug. 15: Two fish limit, plus two additional pink salmon. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Release wild chinook. Release chum beginning Aug. 1. Single-point barbless hooks only. Hatchery chinook retention may close earlier if combined Marine Area 9 and 10 quota of 7,000 hatchery chinook or Area 10 quota of 1,700 hatchery chinook is attained.

Aug. 16-Oct. 15: Two fish limit, plus two additional pink through Sept. 30. Release chinook. Release chum through Sept. 15.

Oct. 16-Nov. 30: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Dec. 1-Jan. 31: Two fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches; release wild chinook. Single-point barbless hooks only.

Feb. 1-April 30: Closed.

Inner Elliott Bay: Friday through Monday, July 6-Aug. 20: Open east of Pier 91/Duwamish Head line. Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Release chum Aug. 1-Aug. 20. Beginning Aug. 21, same as Marine Area 10 regulations.

Sinclair Inlet: July 1-Sept. 30: Open south of Manette Bridge, south of line drawn true west from Battle Point and west of line true south from Point White, two fish limit, plus two additional pink salmon, and minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Release chum Aug. 1-Sept. 15. Other times – same as Marine Area 10.

Area 10 Piers: Seacrest Pier, Pier 86, Waterman Pier, Bremerton Boardwalk, Illahee State Park Pier: Open year-round with a two-fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook, plus two additional pink salmon from July 1 through Sept. 30. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Release chum Aug. 1-Sept. 15.

Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon):

May 1-May 31: Closed.

June 1-June 30: Two fish daily limit, release wild chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Single-point barbless hooks required. Commencement Bay closed to salmon angling east of Cliff House Restaurant/Sperry Dock line.

July 1-Sept. 30: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink salmon, release wild chinook. Minimum size 22 inches for chinook. Single-point barbless hooks only. Commencement Bay closed to salmon angling east of Cliff House Restaurant/Sperry Dock line through July 31.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Two fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Nov. 1-Dec. 31: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Jan. 1-Feb. 15: Closed.

Feb. 16-April 10: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

April 11-April 30: Closed.

Dash Point Dock, Point Defiance Boathouse Dock, Les Davis Pier, Des Moines Pier and Redondo Pier: Open year-round with a two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Plus two additional pink salmon from July 1 through Sept. 30. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal):

May 1-June 30: Entire area closed.

July 1-Aug. 31: North of Ayock Point – closed to salmon angling, except see Quilcene/Dabob Bay recreational fishery below.

Sept. 1-Oct. 15: North of Ayock Point, open for coho only with a four fish daily limit.

July 1-Oct. 15: South of Ayock Point, open with a four fish daily limit, only two of which may be chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Chum must be released.

Oct. 16-Dec. 31: Entire area open with a four fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Jan. 1-Feb. 15: Closed.

Feb. 16-April 10: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

April 11-April 30: Closed.

Hoodsport Hatchery Zone: July 1-Dec. 31: Four fish daily limit, no minimum size, only two of which may be chinook 24 inches or longer. Release chum July 1-Oct. 15; night closure.

Quilcene-Dabob Bay: Aug. 16-Aug. 31: Four fish daily limit, coho only. Sept. 1-Oct. 15: same as North of Ayock Point rules. All other times – same as Marine Area 12 regulations.

Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound):

May 1-June 30: Two fish daily limit. Release wild chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Single-point barbless hooks only. Carr Inlet (north of Penrose Point/Green Point line) closed to salmon angling.

July 1-Sept. 30: Two fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Release wild chinook and wild coho. Single point barbless hooks required. Carr Inlet (north of Penrose Point/Green Point line) closed July 1-31, except open to flyfishing only for hatchery coho; Minter Creek mouth closed through Sept. 30; Lower Budd Inlet closed July 16 through Oct. 31.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Two fish daily limit, release wild coho; minimum size for chinook 22 inches. Single-point barbless hooks only. Lower Budd Inlet closed July 16 through Oct. 31.

Nov. 1-Dec 31: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Jan. 1-Jan. 31: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Feb. 1-Feb. 29: Closed.

March 1-April 30: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Carr Inlet (north of Penrose Point/Green Point line) closed April 16-April 30.

Fox Island Pier Recreational: Open year-round, two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Release wild coho July 1-Oct. 31, and single-point barbless hooks only.