Idaho Fish Report

2024 recreational ocean salmon fishing seasons set by PFMC


by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
4-11-2024
Website

NEWPORT, Ore – The Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) yesterday finalized the 2024 ocean salmon season recommendations, including for ocean waters off Oregon.

Recommended salmon seasons are not official until final approval by the National Marine Fisheries Service (expected by May 16), and after adoption April 19 by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for waters within three nautical miles of shore.

Conservation concerns for both Sacramento and Klamath River fall Chinook salmon stocks were the primary constraints on seasons from Cape Falcon, Oregon through California.

This year's Columbia Basin hatchery coho salmon abundance is forecast to be about 80 percent of last year's actual return and well below the 2023 pre-season forecast. But the forecasts for both lower Columbia River and Oregon Coastal natural coho stocks are strong. Coho fisheries were most constrained by fishery impacts for both Lower Columbia River Natural coho and Southern Oregon Northern California Coastal Coho.

The PFMC announcement is available here.

PFMC recommended recreational season summary:

  • Ocean waters off the Columbia River from Leadbetter Pt., WA to Cape Falcon, OR:
    • Open to all salmon June 22 through the earlier of Sept. 30 or 39,900 adipose fin-clipped coho quota with a 12,510 Chinook guideline.
    • Daily bag limit: two salmon per day but no more than one can be Chinook, and coho must have a healed adipose fin clip.
      • Chinook minimum length: 22 inches.
      • Coho minimum length: 16 inches.
    • Note: Columbia Control Zone is closed.
  • All salmon except coho salmon, Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt.
    • Open Mar. 15 – Oct. 31 except as noted in the mark-selective coho and non-select coho seasons.
    • Beginning Oct. 1, only open inside of the 40-fathom management line.
    • Daily bag limit: two salmon (all salmon except coho except during the selective coho fishery and the non-select coho season.)
      • Chinook minimum length: 24 inches.
  • Hatchery mark-selective coho salmon, Cape Falcon to the OR/CA Border:
    • Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt: open June 15 through the earlier of Aug. 18 or the Cape Falcon to OR/CA border combined quota of 45,000 adipose fin-clipped coho.
    • Humbug Mt. to OR/CA Border: open June 15 through the earlier of Aug. 4 or the Cape Falcon to OR/CA border combined quota of 45,000 adipose fin-clipped coho.
    • Daily bag limit: two salmon. All coho must have a healed adipose fin clip.
      • Coho minimum length: 16 inches.
      • Chinook minimum length: 24 inches.
    • Note: The remainder of this mark-selective quota may be transferred on an impact neutral basis to the September non-mark-selective coho fishery from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt.
  • Non-mark-selective coho salmon, Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt.
    • Open Sept. 1 through the earlier of Sept. 30 or 25,000 non-mark-selective coho quota.
    • Daily bag limit: all salmon, two fish per day.
      • Coho minimum length: 16 inches.
      • Chinook minimum length: 24 inches.
    • Note: open days may be adjusted in season.
  • Humbug Mt. to OR/CA Border
    • Open for all salmon except coho (except as provided during the mark-selective coho fishery from Cape Falcon to the OR/CA border) May 16 – Aug. 31.
      • Daily bag limit: all salmon except coho, two per day.
    • Open for mark-selective coho salmon June 15 through the earlier of Aug. 4 or the Cape Falcon to OR/CA border combined quota of 45,000 adipose fin-clipped coho.
      • Daily bag limit: all salmon two per day. All coho must have healed adipose fin clip.
  • All recreational anglers are limited to no more than two single barbless hooks per line when fishing for salmon, and for any species if salmon are on board the vessel.

More information is available on ODFW's recreational ocean salmon web page.

The commercial troll salmon seasons north of Cape Falcon will again have limited Chinook quotas and be managed by quotas, season length, and vessel landing week limits.

PFMC recommended commercial troll season summary:

  • Early all-salmon except coho season, Leadbetter Pt. WA to Cape Falcon:
    • Open May 1 through the earlier of June 29 or the overall quota of 24,600 Chinook (Cape Falcon to the U.S./Canada border), or the Leadbetter Pt. to Cape Falcon subarea cap of 5,710 Chinook.
    • 60 chinook per vessel per landing per week (Thurs. – Wed.); mandatory call in for any landings into Oregon to report landing details within one hour of delivery or prior to transport away from the point of landing.
  • Summer all-salmon north of Cape Falcon:
    • Open July 1 through the earlier of Sept. 30 or the overall Chinook quota of 16,400 or the 15,200 fin-clipped coho quota.
      • July 1-10: landing possession limit of 70 Chinook and 100 marked coho per vessel for the open period.
      • From July 11: landing possession limit of 120 Chinook and 100 marked coho per landing week (Thurs. - Wed.).
    • Mandatory call in for any landings into Oregon to report landing details within one hour of delivery or prior to transport away from the point of landing.
    • Landing limits will be evaluated weekly in-season.
  • Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt.
    • All salmon except coho (except for the non-mark selective coho season described below): open Ap. 16 – May 29; June 1 – 5; June 12 – 16; June 26 – 30; July 26 – 30; Aug. 4 – 8; Sept. 1 – Oct. 31.
    • Non-mark-selective coho fishery:
      • Sept. 1 through the earlier of Sept.30 or a 2,500 non-mark-selective coho quota (no more than 25 coho per vessel per landing week Thurs. – Wed. and mandatory call in within one hour of delivery or prior to transport away from the point of landing.) If the coho quota is met prior to Sept. 30, then all salmon except coho season continues.
      • Sept. 1 – Oct. 31, no more than 75 Chinook per vessel per landing week Thurs. – Wed.
  • Humbug Mt. to the OR/CA Border
    • All salmon except coho.
    • Open Apr. 16-30.

More information is on the ODFW's commercial ocean troll web page.





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OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Wednesday, April 3rd
Agate Lake: Redband trout are moving around
Campbell Reservoir: Catch rates for largemouth bass should be improving
Fourmile Lake: The Lake is blocked by snow and is currently 33 percent full
Gerber Reservoir: The reservoir is 41 percent full
Upper Klamath Lake: Fishing from shore at Howard Bay and Shoalwater Bay is improving slightly
Klamath River - Upper - OR: Klamath River Fishing Report
Lake Of The Woods: The lake is open water
Phillips Reservoir: Phillips held a good bit of water over winter and is now over half full
Pilcher Reservoir: Both reservoirs should fill throughout the spring
Thief Valley Reservoir: Over winter and throughout the spring, fishing has been good at times
Unity Reservoir: Unity Reservoir can be one of the most consistent trout fisheries in eastern Oregon
Applegate Reservoir: The reservoir is high enough now that Copper Boat Ramp is usable along with French Gulch
Arizona Pond: ODFW placed aquatic weed mats in the pond so anglers will see buoys indicating their presence
Ben Irving Reservoir: This should be a good time to fish Ben Irving
Cooper Creek Reservoir: No recent reports, but there should be some good trout fishing now
Coquille River: There are still a few hatchery and wild steelhead in the North Fork Coquille and South Fork
Diamond Lake: No recent reports from Diamond Lake. Ice conditions were decent for the past couple of weeks
Emigrant Reservoir: Emigrant is 53 percent full
Empire Lake Lower: Trophy trout were stocked in mid-March into Lower and Middle Empire lakes
Expo Pond: Fishing for warmwater fish should start picking up this weekend
Galesville Reservoir: No direct reports from anglers, but stories that some of the trophy trout have been being caught
Lake Marie: Lake Marie was recently stocked
Lake Selmac: Selmac will be stocked again this week
Lemolo Lake: Conditions remain the same for Lemolo
Lost Creek Lake: The Takelma and Stewart boat ramps are available for access by trailered boats
Rogue River - Middle: There are currently great conditions in the middle Rogue for fishing
Rogue River- Upper: Winter steelhead continue to move into the upper Rogue
Umpqua River: The mainstem has decent water conditions this week
North Umpqua River: Steelhead season is winding down quickly
South Umpqua River : Steelhead runs have slowed quickly this past week
Willow Lake: Willow is now 100 percent full
Alsea River: The Alsea River has been fair the past few weeks
Kilchis River: The Kilchis is getting low and clear but is still fishable
Nehalem River: The Nehalem has good catch-and-release opportunities for wild steelhead
Nehalem River- North Fork: The North Fork is getting low and clear
Nestucca River: The Nestucca River is in great condition for steelhead angling
Salmon River: The Salmon River is now closed for steelhead
Siletz River: The Siletz has been remaining fair and steady throughout March
Siuslaw River: The Siuslaw is now closed for steelhead
Three Rivers: Three Rivers should be fishable throughout the week
Trask River: The Trask River is in good shape for steelhead angling
Wilson River: The Wilson is getting a little low and clear
Yaquina River: Steelhead fishery is now closed on the Big Elk
Clackamas River: Winter steelhead can currently be found throughout the system
EE Wilson Angling Pond: The pond is stocked with trout from February through May
Foster Reservoir: The reservoir water level is near low pool
Green Peter Reservoir: The reservoir is usually stocked with trout in the spring
Junction City Pond: This pond has reopened to the public
Sandy River: Winter steelhead can currently be found throughout the system
Santiam River ( North Fork) : Fishing is slow this time of year
Santiam River (South Fork): Currently flows are around 2,850 cfs at the Waterloo gauge
Walter Wirth Lake: Stocked this week
Willamette River: Willamette River Report
Crooked River: The Crooked continues to fish well this spring
Fall River: Fly-anglers continue to report productive and consistent spring fishing in the Fall River
Haystack Reservoir: Haystack is currently at 75 percent full
Hood River: Conditions are looking really good for steelhead fishing on the Hood River
Ochoco Reservoir: The reservoir is 86 percent full
Prinevile Reservoir: Prineville Reservoir at 97 percent full
South Twin Lake: Roads to the Twin Lakes are not plowed and anglers may encounter snow