February 13, 2025
Action: Sets March and April salmon fishing season.
Effective date: March 16-April 30, 2025
Species affected: Salmon
Location: Marine Area 11, except Year-round piers.
Salmon Rules:
March 16-April 1: Closed.
April 2-30: Open Wednesdays through Saturdays only. Daily limit two including no more than one hatchery Chinook. Chinook minimum size 22 inches. All other salmon species, no minimum size. Release chum and wild Chinook. Commencement Bay east of a line from Cliff House Restaurant to Sperry Ocean Dock line is closed to salmon fishing.
Reason for action: The winter Chinook fishery guideline is 1,196 total encounters, 209 total unmarked encounters, and 840 total sublegal encounters. The fishery is being delayed with weekly closures to ensure a higher proportion legal sized are encountered and provide the best opportunity for harvest. WDFW fishery managers have considered these preseason guidelines along with recommendations from Puget Sound recreational anglers and the Puget Sound Sport Fishing Advisory Group in an effort to extend available quota late into the winter season.
Additional information: Year-round piers (Des Moines Pier, Les Davis Pier, Point Defiance Dock, and Redondo Pier) remain open seven days per week.
Fishery managers encourage anglers to sign up for Fishing Rule Change email notifications and to check for emergency rules on the WDFW website prior to fishing. Refer to the 2024-25 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet for fishing rules.
Information contact: Fish Program, 360-902-2700