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.