Anglers Allowed Two Chinook Off Westport Beginning Sunday

OLYMPIA - Starting Sunday, Aug. 4, anglers fishing in ocean waters off Westport can keep up to two chinook salmon as part of their two-salmon daily limit.

With that change, anglers will be allowed to keep two chinook per day in ocean waters off Westport (Marine Area 2), LaPush (Marine Area 3) and Neah Bay (Marine Area 4). Those fishing Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) will continue to be limited to one chinook as part of their two-salmon daily limit.

All ocean areas are open to salmon fishing seven days a week. Wild coho must be released in all four areas.

Pat Pattillo, salmon policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), said the department previously limited anglers off Westport to one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit to ensure that the fisheries would remain open for the entire season.

"Fishing for chinook out of Westport has been really good recently, and we’re keeping a close watch on the pace of the catch. It appears now that enough of the quota for the Westport area remains to allow anglers two chinook per day," Pattillo said.

Ocean salmon fisheries are currently scheduled to continue through Sept. 30 in marine areas 1 and 2, and through Sept. 22 in marine areas 3 and 4.

Pattillo said fishery managers will continue to monitor the ocean salmon fishery throughout the season and will announce any other changes on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/ .

Additional information on the ocean fishery, including minimum size limits and area catch guidelines, is available in the WDFW Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet, available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations .