Ocean salmon fishing at La Push and Neah Bay (Marine Areas 3 and 4) opens June 17, Ilwaco and Westport (Marine Areas 1 and 2) opens June 24

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Photo by Ken Stunz

OLYMPIA – Recreational anglers will have the opportunity to reel in salmon off the Washington coast beginning June 17 at La Push and Neah Bay (Marine Areas 3 and 4), and June 24 at Ilwaco and Westport (Marine Areas 1 and 2).

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) approved a recreational Chinook catch quota of 39,000 fish, up from last year’s quota of 27,000. The PFMC, which establishes fishing seasons in ocean waters 3 to 200 miles off the Pacific coast, also adopted a quota of 159,600 hatchery coho for this year's recreational ocean fishery. This represents a slight decrease over last year’s initial coho quota of 168,000, but still should provide sizable coho fishing opportunity.

“These quotas reflect abundant forecasts of hatchery Columbia River fall Chinook and coho stocks and should offer ocean anglers a quality fishing season,” said Kyle Van de Graaf, an ocean salmon manager with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Season details are listed below:

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)

• June 24 through Sept. 30: Open seven days per week with a daily limit of two salmon, no more than one of which may be a Chinook. Chinook minimum size is 22 inches and coho minimum size is 16 inches. Anglers must release wild coho. The Chinook guideline in Area 1 is 11,490 and the coho quota is 79,800.

Columbia River Control Zone is closed to salmon fishing, except from the north jetty when adjacent waters north of the Control Zone are open to salmon fishing or the Buoy 10 fishery is open to salmon fishing.

Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores)

• June 24 through Sept. 30: Open seven days per week with a daily limit of two salmon, no more than one of which may be a Chinook. Chinook minimum size is 22 inches and coho minimum size is 16 inches. Anglers must release wild coho. The Marine Area 2 Chinook guideline is 17,210 and the coho quota is 59,050.

Willapa Bay (Area 2-1) and the portion of Grays Harbor (Area 2-2) west of the Buoy 13 line also open June 24 under the same rules as Area 2. Regulations for Area 2-1 change in August, and details are listed in the Sport Fishing Rules Pamphlet. The 2023-2024 edition of the pamphlet will be available in late June. Grays Harbor Control Zone is open June 24 through Sept. 30.

Marine Area 3 (La Push)

• June 17 through Sept. 30: Open seven days per week with a daily limit of two salmon, no more than one of which may be a Chinook; no chum may be retained beginning Aug. 1. Chinook minimum size is 24 inches and coho minimum size is 16 inches. Anglers must release wild coho. La Push Bubble Fishery opens Oct. 3-7 and details are listed in the Sport Fishing Rules Pamphlet. The overall Marine Area 3 Chinook guideline is 1,590 and the coho quota is 4,150.

Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay)

• June 17 through Sept. 30: Open seven days per week with a daily limit of two salmon, no more than one of which may be a Chinook; no chum may be retained beginning Aug. 1. Chinook minimum size is 24 inches and coho minimum size is 16 inches. Anglers must release wild coho. The Marine Area 4 Chinook guideline is 8,710 and the coho quota is 16,600.

Waters east of a true north-south line running through Sail Rock are closed in July. No Chinook retention allowed east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line beginning Aug. 1. The area bounded by a line from Kydaka Point to Shipwreck Point is closed to salmon angling.

All four marine areas are scheduled to close to salmon fishing at the end of the day Sept. 30, with an additional late season opening in Area 3 in early October, but these areas could close earlier if the quota is met.

Throughout the summer, anglers can check WDFW's webpage for ocean salmon catch updates.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.