Buoy 10 salmon opener bright

The Buoy 10 fishing season started with a bang over the weekend up from the mouth of the Columbia River for ocean-bright fall chinook and coho.

Checkers found an average of nearly two coho kept per boat. A couple dozen fall chinook were checked each day.   

“It was the best Buoy 10 opener since 2001 when anglers averaged nearly two-thirds of a coho per rod,” said Joe Hymer, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife salmon specialist in Vancouver. “It should be noted that 1.1 million coho returned that year.  This year’s preseason forecast is 539,600 fish.” 

The daily limit is two fish – one chinook – through Sept. 7.

Chinook retention is scheduled to be closed Sept. 8-30. A mark-selective fishery may be considered in-season during all or part of the non-retention period.

Beginning Oct. 1, chinook retention will reopen with a two fish/two chinook daily bag limit.

Methow River restricted

The Methow River is closed daily to all fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight until further notice to reduce impact on fish stressed by warm water conditions.

The emergency rule announced Wednesday by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife applies to the Okanogan County river from County Road 1535 Bridge on lower Burma Road upstream to Weeman Bridge, 8 miles upstream of Winthrop.

“Afternoon water temperatures in the Methow River are approaching the upper limit for survival of trout,” the agency said in a release. “The river receives significant fishing pressure during the summer. Trout hooked and handled are subject to stress, injury, or death as a result of low instream flow conditions and elevated water temperatures.”

• Fishing rules hotline: (360) 902-2500.