Washington salmon fishing seasons tentatively set for 2025-2026

OLYMPIA – Anglers in Washington can expect similar salmon fishing opportunities in 2025-2026 compared to last season, that also includes a strong Puget Sound pink forecast, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fishery managers announced today.

The 2025-2026 salmon fishing seasons, cooperatively developed by WDFW and tribal co-managers, were tentatively set Tuesday at the week-long Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting held in San Jose, California.

“It's important that we ensure all salmon fisheries are consistent with ongoing efforts to protect and rebuild salmon stocks, especially those listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA),” said WDFW Director Kelly Susewind. “During this season-setting process, we’ve worked closely with our tribal co-managers, sport fishing advisers, and the public to ensure there will be a number of sustainable salmon fisheries.”

Continued low returns of some key Puget Sound Chinook salmon stocks are expected to limit some salmon fisheries in the upcoming season. They include the Skagit summer and fall; Nooksack spring; Stillaguamish; Skokomish; and mid-Puget Sound stocks.

Negotiations between WDFW and tribal co-managers this year were guided in part by the Puget Sound Harvest Management Plan, which is expected to provide long-term fishery guidance for Puget Sound. In February 2023, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) found that the plan was sufficient to proceed with a formal review.

“Planning this year's salmon season was challenging because of limiting numbers of Thompson coho and the need to rebuild Queets coho. Nooksack spring Chinook, Stillaguamish Chinook, Snohomish Chinook, and Skagit summer/fall Chinook were also major conservation concerns,” said Ed Johnstone, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) chairman. “Salmon runs won't be recovered through harvest management alone, but it is the co-managers' responsibility to err on the side of conservation when we don't have precise data.”

“Climate change also continues to be a huge concern, because of the threats to salmon from warming temperatures in oceans and the streams they return to spawn in,” Johnstone said. “We all have to work together to rebuild the salmon runs to harvestable numbers by restoring habitat and supporting hatchery production."

The tentative 2025-2026 statewide salmon season recommendations adopted by the Council now move forward for approval by the NMFS.

Final rule making, including additional opportunity for public comment and consideration of those comments will be taken this spring. A link to provide public comment will be posted in May on the WDFW public meeting webpage. Salmon fishing regulations are scheduled to be adopted in early June.

“Each year we work extremely hard to plan marine and freshwater fishing opportunity for anglers around the state,” said Kyle Adicks, Intergovernmental Salmon Manager with WDFW. “While pre-season forecasts for Puget Sound Chinook this year are similar to last year, continued low abundance of many stocks combined with differences in ages of fish returning to Puget Sound in 2025 made fishery planning especially difficult this spring.” 

Puget Sound salmon fisheries

The 2025 Puget Sound pink salmon forecast is 7.76 million — up 70% from the 10-year cycle average — and predicted to be the third largest total return on record (up from a 2023 forecast of 3.95 million and an actual return of 7.22 million). The Green and Nisqually rivers are expected to have strong pink returns. In southern British Columbia, the Fraser River pink forecast is 27 million.

With the expected strong return of pinks, WDFW added two additional pinks to the daily limit for all inner-marine areas except Marine Area 8–2 (Ports Susan and Gardner) through Sept. 30. Pink daily limits in freshwater areas will be watershed specific.

The Skykomish River from the boat ramp below the Lewis Street Bridge in Monroe to the Wallace River will be open for hatchery summer steelhead and hatchery Chinook from June 10 to July 10 with a daily limit of two adult fish, night closure, and the anti-snagging rule in effect. This section of the river was closed in 2024 and had a brief three-day opening in 2023.

The 2025 sockeye forecast for the Baker River is 60,214 – actual return was 47,824 and forecast was 56,750 in 2024 – and the harvest split on sockeye for Baker Lake and the Skagit River is 75/25 percent, respectively. The Skagit River from Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Bridge to the Dalles Bridge at Concrete opens for sockeye June 16 to July 15 with a four sockeye only daily limit. Baker Lake is open July 12 to Aug. 31 with the opening occurring regardless of how many fish are in the lake. The daily limit is six sockeye in Baker Lake.

Ocean salmon fisheries

The ocean salmon seasons include a recreational Chinook quota of 53,750 (41,000 in 2024) and a marked coho quota of 99,720 (79,800 in 2024). Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) will open seven days per week for all salmon fishery beginning June 25 through Sept. 30. Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores) will open seven days per week beginning June 21 for all salmon except coho, and then open for an all salmon fishery beginning June 29 through September 15. Marine Area 3 (La Push), and Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) will open seven days per week beginning June 21 for all salmon except coho, then open for an all salmon fishery beginning July 4 through September 15.

Species and size restrictions are dependent on the area. WDFW fishery managers will monitor the number of salmon caught in-season and may close areas earlier than the above dates if quotas or guidelines are met. To view additional information on the ocean salmon seasons including marine area specific quotas, refer to the PFMC website.

Columbia River salmon fisheries

Fall fisheries in the Columbia River from Buoy 10 to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco are planned for an Aug. 1 opener, with different dates by area for Chinook and coho. This includes steelhead restrictions throughout the river. The coho run size is expected to provide similar fishing opportunities. The Chinook run size is slightly improved since last year's return and expected to provide good fishing opportunities.

The 2025 Columbia River sockeye forecast of 350,200 is about half of last year’s record return, however this year’s forecast is slightly higher than the 10-year recent average return and predicted to be a good return. The Okanogan River forecast is 248,000 (288,700 was forecast and the actual return of 572,552 in 2024).

The Columbia River sockeye fisheries on the mainstem at and above Hanford Reach and above Priest Rapids Dam will open with different dates this summer that are similar to past years with a four-sockeye daily limit.

The 2025 Lake Wenatchee sockeye forecast is 94,000 in 2025 and is well above the spawning escapement objective of 23,000 at Tumwater Dam. If the spawning objective is met there is a possibility for another late-summer sport fishery in the lake. The 2024 record breaking sockeye return was 190,117 (97,000 was the forecast in 2024).

You can find additional salmon season information, by going to WDFW’s The Salmon Fishing Current blog. For salmon season setting process materials and video presentations from the meetings, refer to the NOF public meeting webpage. Refer to the WDFW webpage to see statewide fishing regulations and download the latest fishing rules pamphlet, and for emergency rule changes that may impact fisheries, go to the WDFW webpage. For information on tribal fisheries, refer to the NWIFC website.

WDFW works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.