Washington’s salmon fisheries set for 2017

[House]

NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
April 11, 2017
Contacts: Kyle Adicks, (360) 902-2664;

Washington’s salmon fisheries set for 2017

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Washington anglers can expect a mixed bag of salmon fisheries this year with slightly increased opportunities in the ocean, seasons similar to last year in the Columbia River, and continued restrictions in Puget Sound.

The state’s 2017 salmon fishing seasons, developed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty tribal co-managers, were finalized during the Pacific Fishery Management Council's meeting in Sacramento, Calif.

In recent years, unfavorable environmental conditions, such as warm ocean water and drought, have reduced the number of salmon returning to Washington's waters, said Kyle Adicks, salmon policy lead for WDFW.

“We’re in the third year of a multi-year downturn in salmon returns,” Adicks said. “Similar to last year, we faced significant challenges in crafting fisheries.”

With low returns of coho and wild chinook expected back to several rivers, fishery managers are limiting opportunities in some areas to protect those fish. The most severe restrictions will be in Puget Sound marine and freshwater areas, where the forecast is for extremely low returns of “key stocks,” such as Skagit River coho and Nooksack River chinook.

“We made some difficult decisions this year in order to protect weak salmon stocks,” said Adicks. “However, we worked with constituents to preserve fishing opportunities where it made sense.”

Anglers fishing for coho in Puget Sound marine areas will have improved opportunities in areas 9-13 while those fishing in areas 5-8 will see closures or will be limited to openings that align with chinook seasons. That’s still an improvement from last year, when only Hood Canal and south Sound were open for coho fishing. Rivers such as the Skagit and Stillaguamish also will be closed to coho fishing this year.

Opportunities for chinook fishing in Puget Sound marine areas are somewhat similar to last year with a few more closures in the winter. Marine areas 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) are scheduled to be open from July 16 through Aug. 15, like in 2016. However, both areas have higher catch quotas that should provide better opportunity.

Anglers will have limited opportunities to fish for pink salmon in Puget Sound due to projected low returns of pinks this year. There are no “bonus bag” limits for pink salmon in 2017.

In the Columbia River, anglers will see salmon fisheries that are similar to last year. The popular Buoy 10 fishery opens Aug. 1 while the chinook fishery on the mainstem from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the Hwy. 395 Bridge will be open from June 16 through July 31 for hatchery summer chinook and sockeye.

Anglers fishing Washington’s ocean waters will be able to retain chinook, as well as coho salmon in all four marine areas, as compared to 2016 when coho retention was limited only to Marine Area 1. Salmon fisheries get underway daily in areas 1 (Ilwaco), 3 (La Push) and 4 (Neah Bay) on June 24 and on July 1 in Marine Area 2 (Westport).

Information on recreational salmon fisheries in Washington’s ocean waters and the lower Columbia River is available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/, where notable changes to this year's Puget Sound sport salmon fisheries also can be found. Details on all recreational salmon fisheries will be provided in the 2017-18 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet, which will be available in late June.

For information on tribal fisheries, contact the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (http://nwifc.org/).

[Bowfinger12000]

Well it is a small improvement from last year for sure. Am I understanding this correctly in that no pinks can be retained?

[Nelly]

You got that right Bow,
There may be some river opportunity here and there but no Saltwater pink openers this year.

[chromer]

Thanks for the update. Not so bad for those of us with boats in MA-10, and will be nice to have an opportunity in the Bay again after many years of closure. Are you absolutely sure there will be no saltwater Pink retention? I ask only because all of the releases have said 'no bonus pink' which based on my recollection of past years referred to 'one additional pink' above existing bag limits, but you were always free to fill out your normal 'salmon' limit with Pinks instead of Coho if that's what was biting.

[Robbo]

That's my understanding also Chromer. Still waiting for some clarification on that

[Chasin' Baitman]

Looks great! Unless you fish the san juans in which case you're getting the royal shaft

[Nelly]

Hey Chromer,
To your question regarding pink salmon opportunity, more fact are coming to light:
Area 7 will be open for pinks only from July through September
8-1 and 8-2 would be closed during the summer, and the southern section (8-2) would be open for pinks and hatchery-marked coho from August through early September.
WDFW has also scheduled one Friday to Sunday inner-Elliott Bay chinook fishery for August, plus hatchery coho and pinks only for two other weekends in August as well as an opening the Green River for kings.
The complete regulation package should be available soon

[olympic]

According to this article from the Seattle Times, Pinks will be able to be retained in several Puget Sound areas, but no bonus bag limit. Good improvements over last year. Here is the link to that article:

http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mixe ... trictions/

[Smalma]

Chasin' Baitman -

While full details are just working their way out to the public I understand why you might feel picked on however it appears there is lots of pain to go around this salmon season. It appears that MA 7 will have a 7 month Chinook season (3 months in the summer with 2 non-selective).

MA 5 has a 3 month season (6 weeks of MS in the summer)
MA 6 has a 3 month season (6 weeks of MS in the summer).
MA 8-1/8-2 have 6 month season (all in the winter)
MA 9 has a 5 month season (1 month MS in the summer)
MA 10 has a 5 month season (1 month MS in the summer)

Fortuantely MA 11, 12, and 13 have more or less normal season.

To further add a bit of additional salt to the recreational angler's wounds those the might enjoy chasing game fish (bull trout, sea-run cutthroat, resident rainbows, steelhead etc.) in freshwater are facing a reported 5 month closure (mid July to mid December) on the Skagit) and potentially even more extensively closures on the Stillaguamish.

Curt

[grizz80]

MA6 gets the "Royal Shaft" too !!!!!!!!!