2018 Salmon Season’s Set 1

by Jason Brooks

North of Falcon has finished up and now we know what to expect for our salmon season’s this year. Like a tide change during a wind storm, it all depends on how you look at the opportunities, either a turbulent crashing of waves or a few rollers to cause a little nausea. Either way most of the seasons are borderline okay to good with a few that might have some anglers foregoing their annual plans. One thing is certain and that is this year the various fisheries agencies as well as the tribes involved came to an agreement that all of our salmon runs need to be carefully monitored and cared for.

For all of the details check out the announcement by WDFW North of Falcon Season Setting. But here is a quick rundown on some of the more popular fisheries.

Grant Blinn with a Westport Marine Area 2 Chinook. This year it opens July 1st-Jason Brooks

Ocean Opener’s

Westport (Area 2) won’t open until July 1^st with a weekly schedule of fishing only Sunday through Thursday. June 23^rd is the opener for Marine Areas 1, 3, and 4 and all of ocean areas close on September 3^rd or until the quota is met. WDFW announced, “The Pacific Fishery Management Council approved a recreational chinook catch quota of 27,500 fish, which is 17,500 fewer fish than 2017’s quota of 45,000.” All wild Coho must be released. A two salmon limit but only one Chinook per day in Areas 1,2, and 4.

South Sound anglers will have more opportunities for Chinook in Marine Area’s 11 & 13-Jason Brooks

Puget Sound

Marine Area 9 is due to open in July with a chinook quota of 5,563 fish. Marine Area 10 is going to open for Coho in mid-June and the chinook retention season will open in mid-July with a 4,743 chinook quota which is more than last year. Marine Areas 11 and 13, known as the South Sound, will have good to great season as the south Puget Sound rivers are expected to have higher returns of chinook and coho. Area 11 will have a salmon season opening in June with a marked chinook retention and a non-marked or marked coho fishery. Area 13 will be open year around but both chinook and coho must be clipped.

Buoy 10 will be a short three week season with a one fish per day limit-Jason Brooks

Buoy 10

Anglers from all over the Northwest make their pilgrimage to the famed Buoy 10 fishery. This year it will be a short season and possibly a short day on the water with a “one salmonid” per day limit. This includes chinook, clipped Coho or clipped steelhead. It’s a “one and done” limit but earlier this spring rumors abound of limited days per week closures similar to Marine Area 2. That didn’t happen but the season is opening on August 1^st and closing on August 24^th from below Rocky Point/Tongue Point.

The circus of a fishery on the Skokomish River won’t happen again this year as WDFW and the Tribe continue to dispute the boundary-Jason Brooks

Skokomish River

Once again there will be no fishing on the Skokomish River. Regardless of what side you fall on regarding hating this fishery or loving it; this river is one of the very few with an over-abundance of hatchery chinook. The fish are all off limits to anglers once they hit the river as the boundary dispute continues between WDFW and the Skokomish Tribe.

Jason Brooks

The Outdoor Line Blogger

Jason Brooks Photography