4/10/2024 OCEAN SALMON ACTION NOTICE: The Pacific Fishery Management Council finalized their recommendations for 2024 ocean salmon seasons on Wednesday, April 10. The adopted seasons will be available at the PMFC’s website (www.pcouncil.org) in Preseason Report III, and graphics of the Oregon recreational and commercial troll seasons are available here: ODFW Ocean Salmon Management Program. Seasons from May 16, 2024 forward are not official until final approval by the Secretary of Commerce and adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for waters within 3 nautical miles of shore.

Conservation concerns for both Sacramento and Klamath River fall Chinook salmon stocks were constraints on seasons from Cape Falcon through California. This year’s Columbia basin hatchery coho salmon abundance is forecast to be less than half of the preseason forecast abundance in 2023, but the natural production forecasts for both lower Columbia River and Oregon Coastal stocks are strong with coho quotas and seasons reflecting the available abundances. Coho fisheries were most constrained by sharing of the Lower Columbia River Natural (LCN) coho and the Southern Oregon Northern California Coastal Coho (SONCC).

Recreational Season Summary:

The all-salmon season North of Cape Falcon will open on June 22 and continue through the earlier of September 30 or the hatchery mark-selective coho quota of 39,900. There is also a guideline in this area for 12,510 Chinook. The daily bag limit will be two salmon, but no more than one Chinook and all coho must have a healed adipose fin clip. Minimum length for Chinook is 22” and the coho minimum length is 16”.

Recreational Chinook seasons on the central Oregon Coast from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. opened on March 15 and will continue through October 31. During October the fishery is only open shoreward of the 40-fathom management line. The Chinook minimum length from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. is 24”.

The area from Humbug Mt. to the OR/CA Border will open for recreational Chinook on May 16 and continue through August 31. The Chinook minimum length from Humbug Mt. to the OR/CA Border is 24”.

The hatchery mark-selective coho salmon season from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. will be open from June 15 through the earlier of August 18 or the Cape Falcon to OR/CA Border quota of 45,000 adipose fin-clipped coho. There will also be a non-selective coho season from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. which will be open September 1 through the earlier of September 30 or the quota of 25,000 non-mark selective coho (clipped or unclipped coho allowed). The coho minimum length from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. is 16”. 

From Humbug Mt. to the OR/CA Border, the hatchery mark-selective coho salmon season will be open from June 15 through the earlier of August 4 or the Cape Falcon to OR/CA Border quota of 45,000 adipose fin-clipped coho. The shortened coho season in this area was a result of the conservation limitations for the Southern Oregon Northern California Coastal (SONCC) coho stock. The coho minimum length from Humbug Mt. to the OR/CA Border is 16”.

All recreational anglers are limited to no more than 2 single point barbless hook per line when fishing for salmon, and for any species when salmon are on board the vessel.

Two changes to the recreational bottomfish fishery beginning January 1, 2024

1. Cabezon will be prohibited for retention beginning January 1, 2024. Cabezon will reopen on July 1, 2024 with a sub-bag limit of 1 cabezon per angler as part of the marine bag limit of 5.

2. The longleader midwater fishery will have a bag limit of 12 fish per angler beginning January 1, 2024.

No other changes to the recreational bottomfish fishery as we enter the New Year.