PORT TOWNSEND — Fishing can sometimes be too good.
That’s what happened in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet), where the daily hatchery chinook limit has been lowered less than two weeks after the fishery began, because the fishing has been too hot.
Starting Monday, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife will allow anglers to keep only one hatchery king as part of their two-salmon daily limit.
The previous limit was two chinook.
“Catch rates in Marine Area 9 have been high since the fishery got under way,” Ryan Lothrop, a state fish biologist, said in a press release.
“So, we’ve decided to make this change now to try and stay within our catch guideline, and avoid closing the area’s hatchery chinook season early.”
The state said that as of Thursday, its preliminary estimates indicate anglers in Marine Area 9 had kept or released about 4,300 legal-size chinook since the fishery opened July 16.
That’s about 66 percent of the 6,528 chinook catch guideline for the hatchery chinook fishery, which is scheduled to be open through Aug. 31.
Along with the two-salmon daily limit, an additional two salmon can also be taken.
All wild chinook and chum salmon must be released.
