Washington's salmon fisheries set for 2019-20

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says 2019-20 salmon fisheries have been set and anglers can expect a “mixed bag.” The Department expects a robust coho return on the Columbia River but expects depleted chinook and steelhead runs.

This year’s fisheries were designed to take advantage of a higher number of coho salmon forecast to return to Washington’s waters as compared to recent years, according to Kyle Adicks, salmon policy lead for the WDFW.

On the Columbia River, summer salmon fishery will be closed to summer chinook (including jacks) and sockeye retention due to low expected returns.

Fall salmon fisheries will be open under various regulation. Waters from Bouy 10 upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco will open to fall salmon fishing beginning Aug. 1.

“While we anticipate a robust coho fishery in the Columbia River this year, we’re taking steps to protect depleted runs of chinook and steelhead,” Adicks said in a WDFW media release.

He said steelhead fisheries in the Columbia and Snake rivers this season will be similar to those in 2017, when a similarly low run was projected.

In the Puget Sound area, fishery managers projected low returns of chinook and have closed several fisheries. Anglers will also have limited opportunities to fish for pink salmon in Puget Sound due to projected low returns.

More details can be found at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/north-falcon