The heralded Buoy 10 Chinook fishery closes tonight and moves upriver in stages for the rest of the year. The lower estuary — from Buoy 10 up to the Rocky Point-Tongue Point line — remains open for hatchery steelhead and hatchery coho through the end of the year.
River anglers may take Chinook in the area from Rocky point upstream to Warrior Rock through Sept. 12 only, but can continue to retain Chinook above Warrior Rock to Bonneville Dam through Dec. 31 under permanent rules. Check the “Fishing in Washington” pamphlet for specific rules and river divisions.
As the Buoy 10 fishery wound down, checkers had interviewed some 29,000 anglers in the area with 4,300 Chinook and 3,600 marked coho. That’s just 34 percent of the allocation of kings from the estuary and 30 percent of the 11,900 coho quota for the rest of the season.
Salmon anglers in the lower tributaries are taking mostly steelhead this week, but a few fall salmon are being counted. A handful of Chinook have arrived at Salkum’s separator, a few coho made it to the Kalama hatchery, and the first four hatchery coho reached the Merwin trap last week.
As the late runs move into the downriver tributaries, a number of important changes in salmon rules take place tomorrow.
The lower portions of Abernathy Creek, Coal Creek, Germany Creek, and Mill Creek near Longview and the Coweeman from Mulholland Creek upstream all close for September and October to protect spawning fall Chinook.
On the Lewis, Cedar Creek from the Grist Mill Bridge down and Lacamas Creek on the Washougal are closed Sept. and Oct. to protect spawning Chinook and coho.
The anti-snagging rule and night closure begins Sept. 1 on the North Fork Toutle from the confluence with the South Fork to the mouth of the Green and up the Green to 400 feet below the hatchery rack. Incidentally, the first few fall Chinook arrived at the hatchery last week.
On the Cowlitz there have been some sea run cutthroat included in the weekly count, some old spring Chinook and a few fresh fall kings, and many fish moved to upriver sites for spawning. Salmon season opens on Mayfield Lake tomorrow, so you could keep some of the fall Chinook being relocated to the Ike Kinswa boat launch — a Columbia River Salmon-Steelhead endorsement is required to retain or fish for salmon in Mayfield or Scanewa Lakes.
On the ocean the fishery continues unabated with fairly comfortable water conditions and a good bite. Ilwaco’s Marine Area 1 has landed a total of 20,212 coho, half the quota, and 6,038 Chinook, which is 57 percent of the guideline. The season extends to Sept. 30.
Westport’s Area 2 has seen some 6,194 coho, just 25 percent of the quota, but a whopping 20,098 kings, about 72 percent of the guideline. Westport salmon fishing ends Sept. 19.
About half the coho quota at LaPush has been checked in and around 37 percent of the allowable Chinook catch is accounted for. LaPush closes Sept. 18 but reopens for a subseason from Sept. 25 through Oct. 10.
Area 4 at Neah Bay has seen a catch of 3,417 coho, half the preseason quota, while 2,923 Chinook account for 54 percent of that allocation. Neah Bay also closes Sept. 18.
A strong saltwater salmon fishery continues through the Strait of Juan de Fuca into the winter. Check the fishery pamphlet for specific areas, seasons, and special bag limits at Sekiu, Pillar Point, and Port Angeles through next spring in selected sectors.
