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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Ocean salmon fishing seasons limited by low coho forecast

By Allen Thomas The Vancouver Columbian

Washington will have scaled down ocean salmon fishing seasons this year, but they could have been worse.

State, federal and tribal officials in mid-March raised the possibility of closing all ocean salmon fishing in order to protect the extremely weak wild coho runs forecast for 2016 in many Puget Sound and coastal streams.

Two years of warm water in the north Pacific Ocean are considered the likely culprit.

“I have never seen a situation like this with such low coho numbers and yet healthy chinook stocks, primarily originating from the Columbia River,” said Phil Anderson, former director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and now a Washington representative on the Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Forecasters expect 380,000 coho to return to the Columbia River in 2016. While not a good run, it’s not a disaster.

The best ocean angling opportunity this summer will be for the Columbia River ports of Ilwaco, Astoria, Chinook, Hammond and Warrenton.

For the waters between Cape Falcon, Oregon (near Manzanita) and Leadbetter Point at the northern tip of Long Beach Peninsula, salmon fishing will open July 1 and is scheduled to continue daily through Aug. 31, or until 18,900 fin-clipped coho are caught.

The bag limit will be two salmon, but only one chinook.

Cape Falcon to Leadbetter Point is the only portion of the northern Oregon and Washington coast where coho fishing will be allowed. Columbia River-origin coho tend to congregate in this area.

Butch Smith, president of the Ilwaco Charter Association, said he is reasonably optimistic the coho quota will last until at least late in August.

“I’d make my reservations for early,” he said.

Only chinook fishing will be allowed from Leadbetter Point north to Canada. Angling will not open until July 1 and close by Aug. 21, or when a chinook catch guideline is met.

A year ago, the Washington and northern Oregon ports had a coho quota of 150,800 in addition to their chinook.

Ocean salmon fishing is a key piece of the coastal tourism-based summer economy.

A monster run of 951,000 fall chinook is predicted to enter the Columbia River in August, September and October. Exceptional sportfishing at Buoy 10 is expected, along with good catches upriver.