the Tailout July 2020 | Page 13

and we wanted to reiterate these regulations to help clear up any potential confusion.” Coastwide, anglers cannot fish in an area if they have a catch on board that is not legal to retain in that area. For example, it is illegal to have salmon aboard while fishing in an area closed to salmon fishing, even if you caught the salmon elsewhere. Single-point barbless hooks are required in all marine areas while fishing for salmon. The regulations for individual coastal marine areas are as follows: MARINE AREA 1 (ILWACO) • June 20-28: Daily limit 1. Chinook - minimum size 22”. Other salmon species - no minimum size. Release all coho. • June 29-Sept. 30: Daily limit 2, of which up to 1 may be a Chinook. Chinook - minimum size 22”. Coho - minimum size 16”. Release wild coho. MARINE AREA 2 (WESTPORT) • June 20-28: Daily limit 1. Chinook minimum size 22”. Other salmon species - no minimum size. Release all coho. • June 29-Sept. 30: Daily limit 2, of which up to 1 may be a chinook. Chinook - minimum size 22”. Coho - minimum size 16”. Release wild coho. Open Sundays through Thursdays only. • Willapa Bay (Area 2-1) and the portion of Grays Harbor (Area 2-2) west of the Buoy 13 line also opened June 20 under the same rules as Area 2. Regulations for Areas 2-1 and 2-2 change in August. MARINE AREA 3 (LAPUSH) • June 20-28: Daily limit 1. Chinook - minimum size 24”. Other salmon species - no minimum size. Release all coho. • June 29-Sept. 30: Daily limit 2. Chinook - minimum size 24”. Coho - minimum size 16”. Release wild coho. • La Push, located on the Quileute Reservation, remains closed to the public. Anglers fishing in Marine Area 3 will need to access the area from elsewhere, but must follow all rules and regulations for the marine area where they’re fishing. MARINE AREA 4 (NEAH BAY) • June 20-28: Daily limit 1. Chinook - minimum size 24”. Other salmon species - no minimum size. Release all coho. • June 29-Sept. 30: Daily limit 2. Chinook - minimum size 24”. Coho - minimum size 16”. Release wild coho. • Neah Bay, located on the Makah Reservation, remains closed to the public. Anglers fishing in Marine Area 4 will need to access the area from elsewhere, but must follow all rules and regulations for the marine area where they’re fishing. • In Marine Area 4, the waters east of a true north-south line through Sail Rock are closed to salmon fishing through July 31. Ports are likely to be busy with more sunny days in the forecast, and Beeghley noted that port samplers in areas such as Sekiu are collecting data as anglers exit the docks. Anglers can help conservation efforts by bringing their full salmon or salmon carcasses off the boat and stopping at the marked sampling site atop the docks. “Basically, we’re asking people to bring their whole salmon or at least the carcasses with heads intact to the checkers,” Beeghley said. “We need to scan salmon snouts as folks exit the dock area, and samplers will ask anglers a couple of questions, even if they didn’t catch fish.” Skagit River closing to sockeye fishing due to projected low returns The Skagit River will close to sockeye fishing June 16 to July 15 due to low projected returns, fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today. With an expected return of as many as 13,242 or as few as 8,056, forecasted returns of wild Skagit sockeye are the lowest they’ve been in the last five years and potentially below fishery manager’s broodstock goals. “Given this forecast, largely as a result of poor ocean conditions, we’re taking these steps to ensure we’re meeting our commitments to conservation,” said Brett Barkdull, WDFW fish biologist. The closure begins at the highway 536 bridge (Memorial Highway Bridge) in Mount Vernon to Gilligan Creek. The river remains open for gamefish fisheries. Fishery managers will continue to monitor other area rivers and streams. “Assuming this closure helps us to meet our sockeye Skagit River management goals, we’ll be prioritizing providing a future harvest opportunity at Baker Lake—something we heard was important to anglers as part of this year’s salmon season-setting process,” said Barkdull. CALIFORNIA Salmon Fishing Open on Trinity, Lower Klamath The spring chinook salmon fishery on the lower Klamath River (downstream of the Highway 96 bridge at Weitchpec) and Trinity River (upstream of the confluence of the South Fork Trinity River) will open July 1 and run through Aug. 14 on the Klamath River and through Aug. 31 on the Trinity River. The daily bag limit has been set to one chinook salmon (no size restrictions), and the possession limit set at two chinook salmon. The fall chinook salmon fishery in the Klamath River will open Aug. 15, and in the Trinity River, the fall Chinook salmon season begins Sept. 1. The Klamath-Trinity basin in-river quota is 1,296 adult fall Chinook salmon for 2020. Fall chinook salmon regulations on length have changed since 2019, with the adult size now being greater than 23 inches total length (previously 22 inches). Bag limits will remain the same as 2019, with a two-fish daily bag limit, with no more than one fish over 23 inches (such as one adult and one jack). The possession limit remains the same at six fish, with no more than three fish over 23 inches (effectively three daily bag limits). Additionally, the brown trout bag and possession limits have doubled; www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com 11