IN A DECISION that’s made anglers grumble and question the value of a trip west, North of Falcon representatives conducted a bit of preseason salmon management, trimming the daily limit down to one for the early portion of the summer salmon season off the coast.
Both Neah Bay (Marine Area 4) and La Push (Marine Area 3) will fish on a one-salmon limit from opening day Saturday through July 3. Anglers must release all coho in both areas and the minimum size for kings is 24 inches. Other salmon species have no minimum size.
Both areas are scheduled to switch to a two-salmon limit from July 4 through Sept. 15. Anglers must release wild coho. The chinook minimum size is 24 inches, and the hatchery-marked coho minimum size is 16 inches.
Other salmon species have no minimum size. Anglers must release chum beginning Aug. 1.
The move was made to preserve some fishing for June, according to Dave Johnson, a charter operator and the North of Falcon representative for Neah Bay.
“It was for the impacts on the constrained stock of the Nooksack [River] spring run, and I thought it was better than not opening until July 4,” Johnson said.
“This is the same stock that is closing Sekiu next spring for blackmouth, and Marine Area 6 lost 3,000 chinook in their 2025 quota and area 7 & 9 also took hits.
“As far as the coho closure in June goes, with a lower quota on coho than chinook, we looked into non-retention of coho for June and July and wait until later when they are bigger.
“It was not very expensive on mortality impacts in June like it is in July and August so we decided that areas 2-4 would have a non-coho retention in June and then go straight to two fish any salmon on July 4 in 3-4 and coho must be clipped.
“I also would ask all anglers to not target coho until later in the season so we can hopefully catch our chinook quota.”
The Marine Area 4 chinook guideline is 12,600 kings, up from 9,430 in 2024, and the hatchery coho quota is 10,370 up from 8,300 in 2024.
Waters east of a north-south line through Sail Rock are closed from Saturday to July 31.
Beginning Aug. 1, anglers cannot retain chinook east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line. Kydaka Point Area (waters south of a line from Kydaka Point westerly approximately 4 miles to Shipwreck Point) is closed to salmon fishing though Aug. 15.
The Marine Area 3 chinook guideline is 2,280 (1,630 in 2024) and hatchery coho quota is 2,590 (2,070 in 2024).
No ungulate feeding
Through a rule made effective May 17 by Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Suswind, it is illegal to feed deer, elk and moose in Washington, as feeding draws animals together where they can spread disease.
That means anywhere, especially for those deer living in Uptown Port Townsend that have become habituated to being fed.
It is also illegal to place feed for other wildlife if it causes deer, elk or moose to congregate.
Fish and Wildlife is evaluating its own wildlife feeding practices in areas where elk are fed to reduce human-wildlife conflict in agricultural areas.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@ peninsuladailynews.com.
