Ocean salmon fishery opens July 1

Anglers can reel in salmon off the Washington coast beginning July 1, when the ocean sport fishery gets underway daily in all four marine areas.

This year's sport fishing opportunities are mostly focused on chinook salmon, which are forecast to return at a rate slightly above the 10-year average, said Wendy Beeghley, an ocean salmon manager with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Anglers can fish for chinook in all four marine areas.

Only Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) will be open for coho retention. Fishery managers have attributed the low number of returning coho to poor ocean conditions last year.

Marine Area 1 is scheduled to close Aug. 31 while marine areas 2 (Westport), 3 (La Push) and 4 (Neah Bay) are scheduled to close Aug. 21. Fisheries may close sooner than scheduled if the quota is met. Throughout the summer, anglers can check WDFW's webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/ for updates on the ocean fishery.

Additional information on fishing regulations can be found in Washington's Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet, available on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/.