Forecasts: Large chinook, coho runs

Salmon fishing in the ocean and the Columbia River this summer could be great thanks to an abundant run of hatchery coho and a potentially historic return of chinook, according to state fishery managers.

Opportunities for anglers also look good in Puget Sound, where another strong run of coho salmon is expected this year.

The forecasts - developed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty Indian tribes - for chinook, coho, sockeye and chum salmon were released at a public meeting in Olympia today, marking the starting point for developing 2014 salmon-fishing seasons.

Ron Warren, fisheries policy lead for WDFW, said protecting and restoring weak wild salmon populations will continue to be the top priority as fishery managers develop salmon seasons.

"It's early in the process, but these forecasts point to an exciting summer of salmon fishing," Warren said in a Monday press release. "We look forward to working with our tribal co-managers and constituents to establish fishing opportunities on abundant runs of hatchery salmon while ensuring we meet our conservation goals for wild fish populations."

This year's forecasts include a return of more than 1.6 million Columbia River fall chinook salmon - which would be the largest since record-keeping began in 1938. A return of nearly 1 million Columbia River coho salmon is expected back this summer as well.

As in past years, salmon-fishing prospects in 2014 vary by area:

--Columbia River: Of the 1.6 million fall chinook expected to return to the Columbia River this season, nearly 86 percent of those fish are "bright" stocks. Those fish, most of which are destined for areas above Bonneville Dam, are the foundation of the in-river recreational salmon fishery.

If that run comes in as forecast, the total number of brights would exceed last year's entire Columbia River run of 1.2 million chinook salmon. Additionally, the ocean abundance of Columbia River coho is forecast to be about 964,000 fish, three times as many fish as last year's actual abundance.

--Washington's ocean waters: The strong return of Columbia River salmon should also boost fisheries in the ocean this year.

About 225,000 lower river hatchery chinook are expected back this season, 35,000 more fish than last year's return. Those salmon, known as "tules," are the backbone of the recreational ocean chinook fishery.

State, tribal and federal fishery managers will meet March 8-13 in Sacramento with the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) to develop options for this year's commercial and recreational ocean chinook and coho salmon fisheries. The PFMC establishes fishing seasons in ocean waters three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast.

Additional public meetings have been scheduled through March to discuss regional fishery issues. Input from these regional discussions will be considered as the season-setting process moves into the "North of Falcon" and PFMC meetings, which will determine the final 2014 salmon seasons.

The PFMC is expected to adopt final ocean fishing seasons and harvest levels at its April 5-10 meeting in Vancouver, Wash. The 2014 salmon fisheries package for Washington's inside waters will be completed by the state and tribal co-managers during the PFMC's April meeting.