The Salmon Fishing Current blog: North of Falcon 2026 edition
Latest update (April 15): North of Falcon reflections by Kelly Cunningham
Washington salmon season setting is complex fishery management, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fishery managers work to inform the public during the annual process.
For the third year, WDFW has created The Salmon Fishing Current blog. This blog is a way to provide regular updates of the ongoing developments during the upcoming 2026–2027 salmon season setting process, known as the North of Falcon, which refers to waters north of Oregon’s Cape Falcon and marks the southern border of management of the state’s salmon stocks, including Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Columbia River, and coastal areas.
Additionally, the blog keeps anglers informed of any in-season fishing rule changes, emergency closures or other related developments in Puget Sound, the coast, and Columbia River.
WDFW will host more than a dozen in-person and hybrid North of Falcon meetings in spring 2026 to develop the annual salmon fishing seasons. A full timeline of the process, including a public meeting schedule with opportunities to participate and provide public feedback, is available on WDFW’s North of Falcon webpage.
WDFW listens closely to the input of anglers statewide, attempts to find solutions that best serve the wide array of interested participants. WDFW also strives to meet conservation goals to aid the recovery of salmon and steelhead, including constraints under the federal Endangered Species Act.
WDFW works together with tribal co-managers to equitably divide the share of harvestable salmon, both during North of Falcon and ongoing management throughout the year.
Visit our North of Falcon overview page for helpful information about meetings, a glossary of key terms, and suggested resources.
WDFW will present the proposed 2026–2027 salmon fishing regulations package resulting from North of Falcon negotiations and take public comments during a June 9 virtual public hearing from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Preregistration will be required. After you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Visit the event page to register in advance for this meeting.
Find the latest salmon updates
April 15, 2026 — North of Falcon reflections by Kelly Cunningham, WDFW Fish Program Director
April 13, 2026 — Tentative 2026–2027 Washington salmon fishing seasons adopted during Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) and North of Falcon (NOF) meetings
April 9, 2026 — WDFW fishery managers reviewing ocean, inner-marine and freshwater salmon fisheries at PFMC meetings in Portland, Oregon
April 8, 2026 — Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) and North of Falcon (NOF) meeting updates in Portland, Oregon
April 3, 2026 — Columbia River fisheries discussed at North of Falcon meeting in Ridgefield
April 1, 2026 — WDFW hosts follow-up North of Falcon salmon-season setting meeting in Lynnwood on Tuesday, March 31
March 31, 2026 — What to know ahead of North of Falcon: Lower Columbia River in Ridgefield on Thursday, April 2
March 27, 2026 — WDFW hosted two virtual discussions on inner-marine and freshwater recreational salmon fisheries for the 2026–2027 season
March 18, 2026 — WDFW hosts North of Falcon salmon-season setting meeting
March 9, 2025 — Ocean recreational salmon fishing quotas and season alternatives developed
March 6, 2026 — Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting update
Feb. 27, 2026 — WDFW release salmon forecasts at public meeting
Feb. 20, 2026 — Columbia River spring Chinook fishing seasons set
Feb. 11, 2026 — Columbia River spring Chinook fishing seasons to be announced soon
Feb. 11, 2026 — WDFW invites public participation in annual salmon season-setting process
April 15, 2026 — North of Falcon reflections by Kelly Cunningham, WDFW Fish Program Director
The 2026–2027 North of Falcon salmon season-setting process concluded April 12 after months of public meetings, technical analysis, and negotiations among state and federal partners, and tribal co-managers.
Each year, this process requires navigating a complex mix of preseason forecasts, conservation constraints, legal requirements, and public input to develop fisheries across Washington.
This year’s outcome reflects the depth of coordination and effort involved, with fishery managers working through competing priorities to reach a tentative fishing plan that meets conservation needs while still providing quality salmon and steelhead fishing opportunities.
Refer to WDFW’s blog post and news release for details on this year’s proposed fisheries. Final fishing seasons will be available in June 2026 following federal review and state rule making.
Thank you for participating
If you attended a meeting, submitted comments, joined an advisory group discussion, or simply followed along, thank you. Public input continues to be essential to the North of Falcon process.
The feedback we receive helps us better understand what you, the fishing community, value most, where opportunity matters most, and how different fishery concepts may affect fisheries across the state.
While we may not always be able to accommodate every request due to many factors, your perspectives directly inform the conversations and tradeoffs considered throughout the process.
Balancing opportunity and conservation
As is often the case, this year’s most challenging conversations focused on balancing fishing opportunities with the need to protect sensitive salmon and steelhead stocks. We, along with tribal co-managers and state and federal partners, faced tough decisions, with several key stocks constraining both marine and freshwater fisheries. As a result, some fisheries were scaled back from where we initially hoped to land.
We know these decisions can be frustrating, particularly when opportunities are reduced in areas anglers care deeply about. However, this year also resulted in several meaningful gains for anglers, including an extra two weeks of summer Chinook fishing in the Bellingham Bay terminal area fishery in eastern Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands), the return of April Chinook fishing in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point), and expanded coho fishing opportunities in Puget Sound marine areas and the lower Columbia River, creating the potential for the highest statewide coho catch in more than two decades.
Throughout this process, staff worked extremely hard to maximize fishing opportunities where possible, evaluating various fishery concepts, weighing tradeoffs between areas, and advocating for seasons that provide quality opportunities while ensuring conservation obligations are met.
Adapting to changing fisheries
North of Falcon is a constantly evolving process, and fisheries continue to change over time.
This year included several discussions about fisheries where participation and catch rates have increased significantly in recent seasons. In those cases, fishery managers evaluated whether changes to season structure or regulations may be needed to maintain opportunity over the long term while staying within preseason impact expectations.
We also continue to watch environmental conditions closely. In addition to low snowpack, warmer than typical water temperatures, and drought potential, significant flooding earlier this year is expected to have a sizeable impact on salmon and steelhead migrations across the state in future years. These environmental factors can impact salmon and steelhead survival at multiple life stages, adding to the complexity of already constrained fisheries. As always, in-season management may be necessary if weather- or fishery-related conditions change.
Continued transparency
We know that North of Falcon can be a complicated process to follow, particularly given the technical nature of preseason modeling and the wide range of factors influencing final decisions.
In recent years, WDFW has worked to improve transparency and access through regular blog updates, expanded meeting materials, hybrid and virtual meeting options, and public-facing modeling tools. Those efforts continued this year, and we appreciate the feedback we’ve received on ways to continue improving how we communicate throughout this process.
It remains our goal to provide updates in a way that makes the salmon season-setting process as understandable, engaging, and accessible as possible for those who want to participate, while also encouraging broader involvement from those who may not have taken part in the past.
Thank you to WDFW staff and co-managers
Finally, I want to thank each of our state and federal partners, and tribal co-managers, for their involvement in this process. North of Falcon requires long hours, technical expertise, and thoughtful collaboration to work through a complex set of biological, legal, and policy constraints in a short timeframe. I am immensely proud of the work our staff did this year and grateful for the effort they put in throughout the process.
We’ll continue to share information about Washington’s salmon and steelhead fisheries in this blog, our news releases, and social media. Information about upcoming meetings and other important NOF updates will be available on our North of Falcon webpage. In the meantime, I encourage you to stay involved by sharing your input on our tentative fishery plan.
WDFW will present the proposed 2026–2027 salmon fishing regulations package resulting from North of Falcon negotiations and take public comments during a June 9 virtual public hearing from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Preregistration will be required. After you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Visit the event page to register in advance for this meeting.
Recordings of North of Falcon public meetings are available on YouTube.
April 13, 2026 — Tentative 2026–2027 Washington salmon fishing seasons adopted during Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) and North of Falcon (NOF) meetings
The PFMC salmon-season setting meeting ended Sunday, April 12 in Portland, Oregon, which was part of the annual NOF process that involves a series of public and state/tribal government-to-government meetings to come to an agreement for the upcoming year’s salmon fisheries.
“Our top priority during the salmon season-setting process is to ensure we protect and rebuild salmon stocks, especially those listed as threatened or endangered under the endangered species act (ESA),” said WDFW Director Kelly Susewind. “A continued low abundance of some Puget Sound Chinook stocks made planning recreational fisheries especially difficult, but our staff worked hard to create meaningful opportunities where possible.”
WDFW understands that any reduction in fishing opportunities can be frustrating, particularly when they’re reduced in areas anglers care deeply about. However, this year also resulted in meaningful gains for recreational anglers, including an additional two weeks of summer Chinook fishing in Bellingham Bay, the return of April Chinook fishing in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point), and increased non-mark-selective coho fishing days in both Puget Sound and the lower Columbia River, creating the potential for the highest coho catch in more than two decades.
The tentative 2026–2027 Washington marine area and freshwater salmon fishing seasons adopted by the Council meet the management objectives necessary for ensuring compliance with Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The information on the tentative 2026–2027 seasons below are highlights and is not a complete list of all the upcoming salmon fisheries.
Puget Sound salmon fisheries
In the western Strait of Juan de Fuca, Marine Area 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point) is tentatively set to open beginning April 9, 2027. The fishery was open in mid-April of 2025 but closed early after reaching the management guidelines for that season. Fishing was closed in 2026 to meet conservation needs for Nooksack spring Chinook.
The Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton Area) and Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) hatchery Chinook fishery is tentatively set to open Wednesdays to Saturdays only beginning March 31, 2027.
Each of the three marine area fisheries in spring of 2027 will be evaluated and if sufficient harvest quota and/or guidelines remain then it could reopen for additional days of fishing.
WDFW fishery managers aligned several 2026 Puget Sound marine area summer hatchery Chinook fisheries to begin on the same date this summer to spread out fishing pressure.
The summer hatchery Chinook fishery in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point) and Marine Area 6 (East Strait of Juan de Fuca west of a true north/south line through the #2 Buoy immediately east of Ediz Hook) is tenatively set to open beginning July 1 with specific harvest quotas and/or guidelines. Marine Area 5 will be open on odd-numbered days only for salmon from July 1–31.
Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) will tentatively open July 16–18 with a 2,181 harvest quota. Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) will tentatively open July 16–18 with a 2,650 harvest quota.
Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton Area) will tentatively open July 23–25 with a 1,300 harvest quota. The coho only fishery opens daily from June 1 through Nov. 15.
Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) is planned to be open daily beginning June 1 through June 30 with a 1,423 harvest quota. Then reopens July 23–25, and open daily if quota allows beginning Aug. 1 with a late summer harvest quota of 3,379. The early June fishery could be open seven days per week but is dependent on further WDFW fishery manager review. The Marine Area 11 is open daily for coho beginning Aug. 1 through Nov. 15.
Each marine area summer Chinook fishery will be evaluated and if sufficient harvest quota and/or guidelines remain then it could reopen for additional days of fishing.
In Puget Sound, the Tulalip Terminal Area fishery (also known as the Tulalip Bubble) has seen a substantial increase in angler effort and catch during the past three-year period. The opening date and fishery schedule is still being finalized but anglers can expect a shorter fishery for hatchery-marked Chinook with a one fish daily limit. Like other marine area fisheries, the Tulalip Terminal Area fishery will be managed in-season to remain within preseason predicted impacts for the 2026 season.
The Bellingham Bay Chinook terminal fishery will tentatively begin on Aug. 1, which is two weeks earlier than in previous seasons. There will be a closure zone in Hales Pass during the August portion of the fishery.
The Baker Lake sockeye fishery is planned to be open from July 11 through Aug. 31, with the opening occurring regardless of how many fish are in the lake. The daily limit is four sockeye. Each angler aboard the vessel may deploy salmon angling gear until the daily limit for all anglers has been achieved.
The 2026 Baker sockeye forecast is 70,861 — another strong return which should generate great fishing in the Skagit River and Baker Lake. The 2025 sockeye forecast was 60,214 and the in-season return was around 92,000, which was a new record return. The 2026 sockeye forecast is 67% over the recent 10-year average.
The increasing popularity of the Baker Lake sockeye fishery means anglers must recreate responsibly and be good stewards of water access areas and campgrounds to help preserve this fishing opportunity for the future. WDFW, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Puget Sound Energy (PSE), and co-manager tribes have discussed challenges this growing fishery can present for the limited boat ramps, campgrounds, restrooms, and trash removal available around this relatively remote lake, particularly following reductions in national forest staffing and maintenance budgets.
Baker sockeye anglers should be prepared for mandatory aquatic invasive species (AIS) inspections before launching watercraft, expect limited restrooms and other facilities, and pack-out their trash if bins are full or not available at campgrounds and water access areas. Tips for recreating responsibly outdoors are available at the Recreate Responsibly website.
Ocean salmon fisheries
The ocean salmon season includes an overall recreational Chinook quota of 54,000 (53,750 in 2025) and an overall hatchery-marked coho quota of 102,900 (99,720 in 2025) for Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco), Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores), Marine Area 3 (La Push), and Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay).
· Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco): Open seven days per week from June 20 through Sept. 30, all salmon. The daily limit is two salmon, and one Chinook only. The subarea guideline is 16,780 Chinook (16,600 in 2025) and the subarea quota is 51,450 marked coho (49,860 in 2025). Columbia Control Zone closed.
· Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores): Open seven days per week from June 20 through June 28 for all salmon except coho, and the daily limit is one salmon, release all coho. Fishing is then open seven days per week from June 29 through Sept. 30, all salmon. Beginning June 29, the daily limit is two salmon, and only one may be a Chinook. The subarea guideline is 21,910 Chinook (22,270 in 2025), with a subarea quota of 38,070 marked coho (36,900 in 2025).
· Marine Area 3 (La Push): Open seven days per week from June 20 through June 30, all salmon except coho, and the daily limit is one salmon, release all coho. Open seven days per week from July 1 through Sept. 30, all salmon. The subarea guideline is 2,200 Chinook (2,280 in 2025), with 2,680 marked coho subarea quota (2,590 in 2025). Beginning July 1, the daily limit is two salmon. Beginning Aug. 1, no chum retention.
· Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay): Open seven days per week from June 20 through June 30, all salmon except coho, and the daily limit is one salmon, release all coho. Open seven days per week from July 1 through Sept. 30, all salmon. Beginning July 1, the daily limit is two salmon. The subarea guideline is 13,110 Chinook (12,600 in 2025), with a subarea quota of 10,700 marked coho (10,370 in 2025). Beginning Aug. 1, no Chinook retention east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line and no chum retention.
Species and size restrictions are dependent on the marine area. WDFW fishery managers will monitor the number of salmon caught inseason and may close areas earlier than scheduled if quotas or guidelines are met. Inseason management may be used to sustain season length and keep harvest within the overall Chinook and coho total allowable catch. To view additional ocean salmon season information, refer to the PFMC briefing book webpage.
Coastal freshwater conditions to be monitored
This season’s tentative recreational coastal salmon fisheries are similar to 2025 with some changes to the Hoh, Sol Duc, Humptulips, Black, Satsop, Naselle, and Willapa rivers, and Smith Creek.
WDFW will monitor the low mountain snowpack, which brings the potential for drought conditions; high water temperatures; extended hot weather this summer; and low water level issues in rivers. These conditions could impact freshwater recreational fisheries and salmon migration in late summer and early fall timeframe, especially in rivers flowing off the Olympic Peninsula and other coastal areas.
As climate change impacts Washington’s watersheds and ecosystems, WDFW will closely monitor changes and may need to adopt in-season salmon management fishery changes to address these conditions.
Understanding the coastal river landscapes that support aquatic species is vital for management and conservation strategies and gauging river temperatures provide more awareness of climatic tolerances of fish species like the Pacific salmon.
Since 2014, WDFW has collaborated with coastal tribal co-managers and salmon recovery practitioners, as well as other local, state, and federal organizations on an extensive study of stream temperatures in watersheds of the Washington coast. For details about this ongoing project, refer to this WDFW’s blog.
Columbia River salmon fisheries
Columbia River fall Chinook and coho fisheries open Aug. 1 from Buoy 10 upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco. Season timing above and below Bonneville Dam is generally aligned across areas to improve fishery stability and remain within strict conservation limits.
Buoy 10 is open Aug. 1 through Sept. 2, with alternating block periods of non-mark-selective (wild or hatchery) and mark-selective (hatchery only) Chinook and hatchery coho retention, similar to last year. From west Puget Island upstream to Warrior Rock, retention of any Chinook is allowed Aug. 1 through Sept. 2. Any Chinook may be retained from Warrior Rock upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco Aug. 1 through Sept. 15.
Columbia River coho fisheries are expected to be similar to past years, with the addition of a limited non-mark-selective retention opportunity from Oct. 1–15 upstream of west Puget Island. Previously, only hatchery coho could be retained in the Columbia River downstream of the Hood River Bridge when coho retention was allowed.
The 2026 Columbia River sockeye forecast is 274,900, below the 10-year average return of 311,042, but still sufficient to support fisheries throughout the mainstem Columbia River. In the lower Columbia River, early-season sockeye fisheries are structured conservatively to remain within allowable impacts to ESA-listed Snake River sockeye and to account for summer Chinook impacts in low-return years such as 2025 and 2026.
Sockeye retention in the mainstem Columbia River downstream of the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco will open June 23 through July 5. Sockeye fisheries upstream of the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco are expected to follow a typical season structure with a daily limit of four sockeye. Based on preseason forecasts, Hanford Reach is expected to open June 16 through July 31, while upper Columbia River sockeye retention is expected to open July 1 and run through Aug. 31, with the exception of the stretch of river from Wells Dam to the Brewster Bridge, which is expected to open July 16.
Sockeye fishing in Lake Wenatchee typically opens in late-July if returns exceed the spawning escapement goal of 23,000 fish at Tumwater Dam.
Summer Chinook fishing throughout the Columbia River will be closed preseason due to insufficient recreational harvest allocation to support retention fisheries. Preseason allocation is being reserved to account for incidental mortality in sockeye and steelhead fisheries throughout the Columbia River. Fishery managers will continue to monitor the run in-season. If returns improve and sufficient allocation becomes available, limited opportunities may be considered.
Other meeting developments
· The Cascade River from mouth to Rockport-Cascade Road Bridge is planned to open daily from May 22–26 for hatchery-marked Chinook, then reopens Wednesdays to Saturdays only from June 3 through July 15.
· The Skagit River from the Highway 530 Bridge at Rockport to the Cascade River Road is planned to open daily from May 16 to July 15 for hatchery-marked Chinook. Daily limit is two adult hatchery-marked Chinook, night closure, and anti-snagging rule in effect. Continuation of the fishery is dependent on inseason updates.
· In Hood Canal, the Quilcene River from the Highway 101 Bridge to the mouth is proposed to be closed for fishing in 2026 with limited public access in late summer and fall. The river is undergoing a major habitat restoration project led by Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group in coordination with WDFW, Jefferson County, and other partners.
This is to protect public safety around active construction work areas and private property concerns. Project partners are building new channels, which will divert flows during August and September. For project details and benefits, refer to the project webpage. Refer to the Hood Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca recreational fisheries discussion.
· For salmon season setting process materials and video presentations from all the meetings, refer to the NOF public meeting webpage. Visit the WDFW North of Falcon FAQs and Glossary Information for helpful key terms and other suggested resources.
Next steps
The season recommendations, developed in cooperation with our tribal co-managers, sportfishing advisory groups, and the public, now move forward for approval by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Final rule making, including additional opportunity for public comment on potential fisheries and consideration of those comments, as part of the 2026–2027 NOF process will be accepted online at WDFW’s NOF public input webpage. WDFW listens closely to the input of anglers statewide and attempts to find solutions that best serve the wide array of interested participants.
For all the 2026–2027 fishery proposals, refer to the WDFW webpage. The List of Agreed Fisheries in Puget Sound marine and freshwater areas, Columbia River, and coastal and ocean waters, will be available soon on the WDFW season summaries and agreed fisheries webpage.
WDFW will present the proposed 2026–2027 salmon fishing regulations package resulting from North of Falcon negotiations and take public comments during a June 9 virtual public hearing from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Preregistration will be required. After you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Visit the event page to register in advance for this meeting.
Final 2026–2027 salmon fishing seasons regulations will be adopted subsequent to that hearing.
April 9, 2026 — WDFW fishery managers reviewing ocean, inner-marine and freshwater salmon fisheries at PFMC meetings in Portland, Oregon
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) salmon-season setting meeting was held Thursday, April 9 at the Hyatt Regency in Portland, Oregon, as part of the annual North of Falcon (NOF) process, which involves a series of public and state/tribal government-to-government meetings through April to come to an agreement for the upcoming year’s salmon fishing season.
WDFW fishery managers at this week’s PFMC meetings are shaping the 2026–2027 statewide recreational marine area and freshwater fisheries to meet management objectives necessary for ensuring compliance with Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The Nooksack spring-run Chinook stock, Snohomish and Stillaguamish summer/fall Chinook, and Snohomish wild coho will likely limit recreational fisheries in Puget Sound. Recreational fisheries in a number of marine and freshwater areas will need to be reduced from the current proposals to meet the conservation criteria.
In Puget Sound, the Tulalip Terminal Area fishery (also known as the Tulalip Bubble) has seen a substantial increase in angler effort and catch during the past three-year period. WDFW has proposed a mark-selective (hatchery only) salmon fishery with a one fish daily limit to maximize the number of days on the water this summer. A specific opening date or days per week will be announced soon. Like other marine area fisheries, the Tulalip Terminal Area fishery will be managed in-season to remain within preseason predicted impacts for the 2026 season.
For Bellingham Bay, WDFW is proposing additional salmon fishing opportunity from Aug. 1–15 with a possible closure of Hales Pass to recreational anglers in August. The other proposal is to maintain a start date of Aug. 16 without a Hales Pass closure.
In Hood Canal, the Quilcene River from the Highway 101 Bridge to the mouth is proposed to be closed for fishing in 2026 with limited public access in late summer and fall. The river is undergoing a major habitat restoration project led by Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group in coordination with WDFW, Jefferson County, and other partners.
This is to protect public safety around active construction work areas and private property concerns. Project partners are building new channels, which will divert flows during August and September. For project details and benefits, refer to the project webpage. Refer to the Hood Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca recreational fisheries discussion.
For the presentation from Thursday’s public briefing at the PFMC meeting, refer the WDFW events webpage. For Puget Sound salmon fishery modeling tools — mathematical representations of the effects of different fisheries on Chinook and coho stocks — refer to this WDFW webpage. For a draft of the 2026–2027 marine and freshwater fishery proposals, refer to the WDFW NOF webpage for the full draft proposal.
WDFW staff will hold additional hybrid public briefings at 8:30 a.m. from April 10 through April 12. Pre-registration is required to attend the virtual meetings by going to the WDFW’s event webpage.
The public can also participate in the 2026–2027 NOF process by submitting online comments on potential fisheries at WDFW’s NOF public input webpage. WDFW listens closely to the input of anglers statewide and attempts to find solutions that best serve the wide array of interested participants.
WDFW will present the proposed 2026–2027 regulations package resulting from NOF negotiations during a statewide rulemaking virtual public hearing in mid-June and take additional public comments. Final regulations will be adopted subsequent to that hearing.
Lower Columbia River spring Chinook season extended
Washington and Oregon fishery managers on Thursday, April 9 took joint state action to add three additional spring Chinook fishing days in the mainstem Columbia River, from the Buoy 10 line upstream to Bonneville Dam, from Saturday, April 11 through Monday, April 13 only.
Fishery managers will meet virtually on Tuesday, April 14, at 3 p.m. to consider whether more recreational spring Chinook fishing days can be added below Bonneville Dam prior to the run size update, which typically occurs in mid-May.
When the fishery is open, fishing is permitted in the mainstem Columbia River from Buoy 10 upstream to Beacon Rock for both boat and bank anglers. From Beacon Rock upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline, fishing is limited to bank angling by hand-cast only.
Salmon and steelhead fishing in the mainstem Columbia River, from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Washington/Oregon border, remains open through April 26, with an additional day of retention allowed on May 2 only. Refer to the emergency fishing rule for detailed regulations.
No hearing was held for this extension because Oregon and Washington staff remain engaged in summer and fall salmon season-setting discussions at the Pacific Fishery Management Council.
Anglers should review the Washington Sport Fishing rules pamphlet or Fish Washington® mobile app for all permanent rules and check for any emergency rule changes before heading out. Regulations may be modified in-season as returns materialize. To receive Columbia River Compact fishery notices and regulation updates by email, subscribe to WDFW’s mailing list.
Other meeting developments
· During the Wednesday, April 8 meeting, the PFMC tentatively adopted ocean fishing regulations for further analysis throughout the rest of this week’s meeting. The proposed 2026 recreational ocean Chinook quota is 56,000 (53,750 in 2025) and the hatchery-marked coho quota is 105,000 fish (99,720 in 2025). These preliminary regulations may be adjusted this week as planning for inside fisheries continues to ensure that plans for all fisheries combined will meet conservation objectives.
The recreational ocean salmon fisheries are currently proposed to open seven days per week from June 20 until Sept. 30 or until quotas are met in Marine Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4 (Ilwaco, Westport-Ocean Shores, La Push, and Neah Bay).
· WDFW fishery managers will monitor the low mountain snowpack, which brings the potential for drought conditions; high water temperatures; extended hot weather this summer; and low water level issues in rivers. These conditions could impact freshwater recreational fisheries and salmon migration in late summer and early fall timeframe, especially in rivers flowing off the Olympic Peninsula and other coastal areas. As climate change impacts Washington’s watersheds and ecosystems, WDFW will monitor impacts and may need to adopt in-season management changes to address these conditions.
Understanding the coastal river landscapes that support aquatic species is vital for management and conservation strategies and gauging river temperatures provide more awareness of climatic tolerances of fish species like the Pacific salmon. Since 2014, WDFW has collaborated with coastal tribal co-managers and salmon recovery practitioners, as well as other local, state, and federal organizations on an extensive study of stream temperatures in watersheds of the Washington coast. For details about this ongoing project, refer to this WDFW’s blog.
· All previous NOF meeting materials and recordings can be found on the 2026 NOF public meeting schedule under the “event page” tab.
· WDFW fishery managers continue to call on salmon anglers to submit Voluntary Salmon Trip Reports to help to increase the amount of data available for management purposes. These trip reports are just one tool in a suite of options fisheries managers use to collect biological and fishery data for Puget Sound salmon. Anglers can complete the Voluntary Salmon Trip Report Form online or visit the WDFW website to download a paper copy.
Voluntary Trip Reports may be used alongside test fishing data to provide the proportion of each of the four size/mark categories of fish: legal size clipped, sublegal size clipped, legal size unclipped and sublegal size unclipped. Other monitoring tools include dockside sampling, test fishing, and boat surveys. You may still be asked questions about your catch at the dock by catch samplers and still need to fill out your Catch Record Card. Your catch is not being double counted because the information used from the form is the proportion and not numbers of fish.
April 8, 2026 — Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) and North of Falcon (NOF) meeting updates in Portland, Oregon
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) salmon-season setting meeting was held Wednesday, April 8 in Portland, Oregon, as part of the annual North of Falcon (NOF) process, which involves a series of public and state/tribal government-to-government meetings through April to come to an agreement for the upcoming year’s salmon fishing season.
During the April 8 meeting, the PFMC tentatively adopted ocean fishing regulations for further analysis throughout the rest of this week’s meeting. The proposed 2026 recreational ocean Chinook quota is 56,000 (53,750 in 2025) and the hatchery-marked coho quota is 105,000 fish (99,720 in 2025). These preliminary regulations may be adjusted this week as planning for inside fisheries continues to ensure that plans for all fisheries combined will meet conservation objectives.
The recreational ocean salmon fisheries are currently proposed to open seven days per week from June 20 until Sept. 30 or until quotas are met in Marine Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4 (Ilwaco, Westport-Ocean Shores, La Push, and Neah Bay).
With the ocean fisheries starting to become clearer as the preseason planning process progresses, WDFW fishery managers will turn their attention at this week’s PFMC meetings to shaping Puget Sound marine area and freshwater fisheries to meet management objectives necessary for ensuring compliance with Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The Nooksack spring-run Chinook stock, Snohomish and Stillaguamish summer/fall Chinook, and Snohomish wild coho will likely limit recreational fisheries in Puget Sound. Recreational fisheries in a number of marine and freshwater areas will need to be reduced from the current proposals to meet the conservation criteria.
For Puget Sound salmon fishery modeling tools — mathematical representations of the effects of different fisheries on Chinook and coho stocks — refer to this WDFW webpage. For a draft of the 2026–2027 marine and freshwater fishery proposals, refer to the WDFW NOF webpage for the full draft proposal.
WDFW staff will hold hybrid public briefings at 8:30 a.m. from April 9 through April 12 at the Hyatt Regency in Portland, Oregon. Pre-registration is required to attend the virtual meetings by going to the WDFW’s event webpage.
The public can also participate in the 2026–2027 NOF process by submitting online comments on potential fisheries at WDFW’s NOF public input webpage. WDFW listens closely to the input of anglers statewide and attempts to find solutions that best serve the wide array of interested participants.
WDFW will present the proposed 2026–2027 regulations package resulting from NOF negotiations during a statewide rulemaking virtual public hearing in mid-June and take additional public comments. Final regulations will be adopted subsequent to that hearing.
Other meeting developments
· All previous NOF meeting materials and recordings can be found on the 2026 NOF public meeting schedule under the “event page” tab.
NOAA fisheries will host a West Coast recreational fisheries constituent roundtable April 9, 2026, from 7–9 p.m. The meeting will provide NOAA Fisheries’ leadership and the recreational fishing community an opportunity to connect. Following some brief presentations, this meeting will be an open forum to discuss priorities, concerns, and topics of interest to recreational anglers. More information, including how to attend, is available on the NOAA West Coast Fisheries website.
· WDFW fishery managers continue to call on salmon anglers to submit Voluntary Salmon Trip Reports to help to increase the amount of data available for management purposes. These trip reports are just one tool in a suite of options fisheries managers use to collect biological and fishery data for Puget Sound salmon. Anglers can complete the Voluntary Salmon Trip Report Form online or visit the WDFW website to download a paper copy.
Voluntary Trip Reports may be used alongside test fishing data to provide the proportion of each of the four size/mark categories of fish: legal size clipped, sublegal size clipped, legal size unclipped and sublegal size unclipped. Other monitoring tools include dockside sampling, test fishing, and boat surveys. You may still be asked questions about your catch at the dock by catch samplers and still need to fill out your Catch Record Card. Your catch is not being double counted because the information used from the form is the proportion and not numbers of fish.
April 3, 2026 — Columbia River fisheries discussed at North of Falcon meeting in Ridgefield
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) held a hybrid North of Falcon (NOF) public meeting on Thursday, April 2 in Ridgefield to discuss forecasts, management objectives, and fishery concepts for the Columbia River downstream of the Snake River. Meeting materials, including a meeting recording, are available on the meeting webpage.
The discussion focused on the 2026 season outlook, conservation objects, and policy guidance for Columbia River fisheries. WDFW and ODFW staff also outlined modeling assumptions used to develop fishery concepts. The 2026 Columbia River planning objective is to provide fishery consistency and reduce in-season closure risk, with the understanding that fisheries are managed in-season using catch data, stock composition, and updated run sizes.
“Fall fisheries are expected to be similar in structure compared to last year,” said Ryan Lothrop, WDFW’s Columbia River fisheries manager. “We appreciate hearing from anglers who attended the meeting and encourage those interested in Columbia River fisheries to submit public input on fishery concepts this week. These comments will inform our fishery plans for 2026.”
2026 Columbia River fishery concepts
WDFW and ODFW staff presented Columbia River fishery concepts informed by prior public input, advisory group discussions, and recent fishery performance. Staff intend to advance a single in-river fishery package for consideration at the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting in Portland beginning Tuesday, April 7.
Modeling incorporates the latest Chinook and coho forecasts and reflects key constraints, including Endangered Species Act (ESA) impact limits for upriver stocks, allocation requirements, and steelhead protections. Managers also considered priorities such as minimizing in-season closure risk, managing effort shifts between fishing areas, and reserving impacts for coho-directed fisheries later in the season.
Detailed season structures, including proposed dates and regulations for each concept, are available in the meeting materials. Anglers are reminded that season dates and regulations are proposals only and may be adjusted as needed to meet conservation and policy objectives.
Summer Chinook, sockeye, and steelhead
Summer Chinook retention is not expected in the Columbia River mainstem downstream of Priest Rapids Dam due to limited recreational allocation. Available impacts are expected to be reserved for incidental mortality in sockeye and steelhead fisheries, with any additional opportunity dependent on in-season updates.
Sockeye fisheries are expected to be limited early in the season to reduce the risk of exceeding allocations, following recent years with high catch rates and early closures. Sockeye fishery concepts under consideration include shorter retention windows or reduced daily limits, with the potential for additional opportunity later in the season depending on run size updates.
Preliminary summer steelhead regulations are similar to recent years, with continued protections in place for both mainstem and tributary fisheries. Refer to the meeting materials (page 19) for proposed summer steelhead seasons in the Columbia River and its tributaries.
Fall Chinook and coho
Fall Chinook fishery concepts are designed to provide opportunity throughout the river while staying within ESA impact limits for specific stocks. Managers are accounting for recent trends in catch rates and stock composition, as well as the need to balance opportunity across areas.
At Buoy 10 and other areas downstream of Bonneville Dam, concepts explore different approaches to timing and regulation type, including mark-selective (hatchery retention only) and non-mark-selective (hatchery or wild retention) fisheries, delayed openings, and potential closure periods. Each concept is intended to balance opportunity with conservation needs and reduce the likelihood of in-season changes.
Upstream areas include similar concept groups, with an emphasis on aligning season timing across areas to reduce effort shifts and support more stable fisheries. In areas upstream of Bonneville Dam, a conservative approach similar to recent years is being considered due to increased angler effort and the need to manage impacts on upriver stocks as the Upriver Bright fall Chinook is the most constraining stock.
Coho fisheries are also expected to follow a structure similar to recent years. When Chinook retention closes, salmon angling may pause until reopening for coho in October, with the possibility of a limited October non-mark-selective (hatchery or wild retention) opportunity from West Puget Island upstream to the Hood River Bridge if impacts remain available.
What to expect
Staff from Oregon and Washington will continue to refine fishery concepts and select a preferred management approach during the April PFMC meeting. Dates and regulations may change based on updated ocean fisheries, harvest estimates, and stock abundance information.
Those interested in Columbia River fisheries are encouraged to submit public input this week (ideally no later than April 5). Public input is an important part of the North of Falcon process and will help inform final recommendations.
More information
· Based on anticipated Chinook and coho returns, expected sport harvest, and broodstock collection goals, many southwest Washington tributaries are expected to be similar to recent years. More information about proposed salmon and steelhead tributary fisheries in southwest is available in the meeting materials.
· Refer to the Columbia River reports, forecasts, returns, and fishery plans webpage for more information about this year’s salmon and steelhead seasons. To receive regulation updates and Columbia River Compact fishery notices via email, subscribe to WDFW’s mailing lists.
· WDFW will hold a virtual North of Falcon public meeting on Monday, April 6, from 6–7 p.m., to discuss specific to Puget Sound Chinook salmon modeling results that weren’t available during the NOF 2 meeting on March 31. Pre-registration is required. Learn more on the meeting webpage.
· The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) will meet April 7–12 in Portland to adopt final recommended regulations for federal ocean fisheries and WDFW will adopt a list of agreed fisheries for marine and freshwater areas. WDFW staff plan to hold virtual daily public briefings in the mornings with dates and times to be determined. Visit the event page for meeting materials and recordings. Additional event details are available on the PFMC website.
· NOAA fisheries will host a West Coast recreational fisheries constituent roundtable April 9, 2026, from 7–9 p.m. The meeting will provide NOAA Fisheries’ leadership and the recreational fishing community an opportunity to connect. Following some brief presentations, this meeting will be an open forum to discuss priorities, concerns, and topics of interest to recreational anglers. More information, including how to attend, is available on the NOAA West Coast Fisheries website.
· Beginning April 1, 2026, anglers can choose to use an electronic catch record card (eCRC) to record and report salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon. Recreational Dungeness crab reporting by eCRC will be available beginning summer 2026.
This functionality is available in the new MyWDFW and Fish Washington® mobile apps. The eCRC offers a faster, easier way to report catch while you’re on the water. No cell service required — anglers can save entries, and information will automatically submit once your device reconnects.
Anglers are not required to use eCRCs, and paper reporting options will remain available for those who prefer them. Learn more about how eCRCs work and decide what option is right for you at the WDFW CRC webpage.
April 1, 2026 — WDFW hosts follow-up North of Falcon salmon-season setting meeting
The second public salmon season setting meeting was held Tuesday, March 31 in Lynnwood as part of the annual North of Falcon (NOF) process, which involves a series of public and state/tribal government-to-government meetings through April to come to an agreement for the 2026–2027 salmon fishing season.
During the meeting, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fishery managers presented information on salmon forecasts and abundances, analysis of preliminary recreational fishery proposals, options for the 2026–2027 Puget Sound recreational fisheries, management objectives (which are grounds to ensure enough salmon return to spawn in rivers), and public input. Refer to the WDFW NOF public meeting webpage for materials, including public proposals staff heard as part of the meeting’s public comment opportunity.
The Puget Sound coho modeling tool is now available by going to the WDFW NOF public meeting webpage. The Puget Sound Chinook modeling tool will be available soon. For additional statewide salmon forecasts, refer to the WDFW NOF forecasts, model runs, and management objectives webpage.
Current modeling — a mathematical representation of a stock or fishery based on data — of Chinook and coho fishing seasons are exceeding management goals on several stocks. Depending on the area, conservation concerns such as constraining stocks, and other fishery or hatchery requirements, both wild (also known natural-origin) and hatchery-origin salmon returns can influence season-setting and fishery quotas or encounter limits set by state, tribal, and federal co-managers.
The Nooksack spring-run Chinook stock, Snohomish and Stillaguamish summer/fall Chinook, and Snohomish wild coho will likely limit recreational fisheries in Puget Sound. Fisheries in a number of marine and freshwater areas will need to be reduced from the current proposals to meet the conservation criteria.
Continuing reading below for more details from the March 31 NOF #2 meeting.
The next hybrid public meeting for Columbia River downstream of Snake River fisheries is Thursday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the WDFW Ridgefield Region 5 Office, 5525 South 11th Street in Ridgefield. Meeting materials can be found by going to the events webpage. For a list of meetings, refer to the WDFW NOF webpage.
In addition to attending meetings, the public can participate in the 2026–2027 NOF process by submitting online comments on potential fisheries at WDFW’s NOF public input webpage. WDFW listens closely to the input of anglers statewide and attempts to find solutions that best serve the wide array of interested participants.
Washington, Oregon, and California salmon fishing seasons are expected to be finalized during the Pacific Fishery Management Council meetings on April 7–12 in Portland, Oregon. WDFW staff plan to hold public briefings from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. beginning April 9, which will be available via virtual meetings and pre-registration is required by going to this link. WDFW will take additional public comments on the proposed 2026–2027 regulations package in early June. Final regulations will be adopted in June.
Other meeting developments
· In Puget Sound, the Tulalip Terminal Area fishery (also known as the Tulalip Bubble) has seen a substantial increase in angler effort and catch during the past three-year period. WDFW is considering a number of different options that will likely result in the fishery looking different than in previous years. Like other marine area fisheries, the Tulalip Terminal Area fishery will be managed in-season to remain within preseason predicted impacts for the 2026 season. Options to consider are alternative scheduling and change to a mark-selective (hatchery only) fishery, and reductions to the daily limit.
· Marine Areas 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point), 7 (San Juan Islands), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), and 10 (Seattle-Bremerton Area) are the Chinook recreational fisheries that have the highest impacts that effect the conservation objectives (the number of salmon needed to spawn to maintain the health of the stock).
· WDFW staff presented a draft of the freshwater fishery proposals during the meeting and expect most rivers to have similar opportunities as last season not including pink salmon, which mainly return during odd-numbered years. Refer to the WDFW NOF webpage for the full draft proposal.
· The Baker Lake sockeye fishery is proposed to begin Saturday, July 11 with a four-sockeye daily limit. The 2026 Baker sockeye forecast is 70,861 — another strong return which should generate great fishing in the Skagit River and Baker Lake. The 2025 sockeye forecast was 60,214 and the in-season return was around 92,000, which was a new record return. The 2026 sockeye forecast is 67% over the recent 10-year average.
The increasing popularity of the Baker Lake sockeye fishery means anglers must recreate responsibly and be good stewards of water access areas and campgrounds to help preserve this fishing opportunity for the future.
WDFW, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Puget Sound Energy (PSE), and co-manager tribes have discussed challenges this growing fishery can present for the limited boat ramps, campgrounds, restrooms, and trash removal available around this relatively remote lake, particularly following reductions in national forest staffing and maintenance budgets.
Baker sockeye anglers should be prepared for mandatory aquatic invasive species (AIS) inspections before launching watercraft, expect limited restrooms and other facilities, and pack-out their trash if bins are full or not available at campgrounds and water access areas. Tips for recreating responsibly outdoors are available at the Recreate Responsibly website.
· In Hood Canal, the Big Quilcene River from the Highway 101 Bridge to the mouth is undergoing a major habitat restoration project led by Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group in coordination with WDFW, Jefferson County, and other partners. Certain areas will see mandatory closures and/or limited public access to fishing areas in late summer and fall. This is to protect public safety around active construction work areas and private property concerns. Project partners are building new channels, which will divert flows during August and September. For project details and benefits, refer to the project webpage. Refer to the Hood Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca recreational fisheries discussion.
· WDFW fishery managers continue to call on salmon anglers to submit Voluntary Salmon Trip Reports to help to increase the amount of data available for management purposes. These trip reports are just one tool in a suite of options fisheries managers use to collect biological and fishery data for Puget Sound salmon. Anglers can complete the Voluntary Salmon Trip Report Form online or visit the WDFW website to download a paper copy.
Voluntary Trip Reports may be used alongside test fishing data to provide the proportion of each of the four size/mark categories of fish: legal size clipped, sublegal size clipped, legal size unclipped and sublegal size unclipped. Other monitoring tools include dockside sampling, test fishing, and boat surveys. You may still be asked questions about your catch at the dock by catch samplers and still need to fill out your Catch Record Card. Your catch is not being double counted because the information used from the form is the proportion and not numbers of fish.
March 31, 2026 — What to know ahead of North of Falcon: Lower Columbia River
As part of the annual North of Falcon process, Oregon and Washington fishery managers will hold a hybrid public meeting in Ridgefield, Thursday, April 2, beginning at 10 a.m. The meeting will cover forecasts, management objectives, and fishery concepts for Columbia River fisheries downstream of the Snake River.
While fishery managers will cover many topics during this meeting, here’s a few key points to keep in mind as you prepare for the discussion about this year’s Columbia River salmon and steelhead fisheries:
Columbia River fall fisheries management
Fall salmon and steelhead fisheries operate within a complex system of mixed-stock management, meaning multiple stocks, or species, migrate through the lower Columbia River at the same time. This requires careful planning to balance conservation goals with fishing opportunities. Key considerations include:
- Constraining stocks: Some salmon stocks present in the Columbia River are more vulnerable than others. Fishery managers design regulations to protect these stocks while still allowing harvest opportunities for healthier, or more abundant, populations.
- In-season management: Fisheries are adjusted in real time based on in-season estimates of catches, stock composition, and abundance updates for upriver-origin Chinook stocks. These adjustments help ensure fisheries stay within allowable harvest limits for fish species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).
- No recreational area allocations: Unlike spring and summer fisheries, fall salmon fisheries in the Columbia River do not have set allocations for specific areas. This is a common misconception during the salmon-season setting process. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s only guidance on fall Chinook recreational allocation is that it cannot exceed 70% of the most limited stock.
Recent in-season stability measures
Since 2023, unpredictable environmental changes and increased catch rates have led fishery managers to take a more conservative management approach to create a more predictable fishery. This shift in approach, which relies on in-season fisheries and abundance data, as well as considerations for additional opportunity, is necessary due to:
- Unexpected closures and thermal barriers: For example, in 2021–2022, fishery managers had to close fisheries unexpectedly due to high catch rates and increased catches of the most limiting stock. These situations can arise when thermal barriers — areas of warm water that can slow or delay upstream fish migration — cause fish to concentrate in certain areas, such as in the Buoy 10 fishery near the lower Columbia River mouth, or as fish congregate near tributary mouths, leading to increased harvest pressure. At this time, fishery managers are unable to predict when these situations will develop as these conditions do not occur every season.
- Changes in fishing effort and methods: Increased angler participation and higher catch rates have led to greater fishing pressure in key areas like Buoy 10, the lower Columbia River, and above Bonneville Dam. As fish abundance or regulations change, anglers adjust by changing their fishing locations and efforts. Additionally, advancements in fishing technology, gear, techniques, and increased communication between anglers on the latest updates have further contributed to higher catch rates in recent years.
- Adaptive management strategy: The current approach allows fishery managers to make incremental adjustments each season based on new data to maintain a balanced fishery while meeting conservation goals. Managers use catch modeling to estimate the maximum expected ESA impact and design season structures to reduce the risk from unexpected challenges like in-season abundance downgrades, presence of thermal barriers, or significant fishing effort shifts.
Considering angler priorities
Angler priorities also play a role in season planning. Understanding these factors helps guide decisions that impact fishing opportunities throughout the lower Columbia River. In recent years, anglers have expressed the following priorities for fishery managers to consider:
- Fishery types: During the fall Chinook season, many anglers prefer non-mark-selective fisheries (non-MSF), which allow the harvest of both hatchery and wild fish. However, some anglers favor mark-selective fisheries (MSF), where only hatchery fish are retained. MSFs can provide more fishing days since wild fish are released.
- Fishing opportunity vs. catch rates: Some anglers prioritize extended seasons and accessibility, while others prefer higher catch rates over a shorter timeframe when fishing is productive.
- Fish quality preferences: Some anglers have no preference, while others prefer bright-stock fall Chinook.
- Predictability vs. risk: Some anglers prefer consistent seasons, while others value the flexibility to adjust as fishing conditions improve. Early-season fisheries, like Buoy 10, rely heavily on pre-season forecasts and planning. In contrast, later-season fisheries, such as Warrior Rock upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco, may benefit from in-season abundance upgrades but also face risks if the return is smaller than expected or if other fisheries exceed expected pre-season ESA impact limits.
Join the discussion
Your input is essential to shaping the upcoming Columbia River salmon and steelhead fisheries. This year’s discussion will focus on key management considerations, including constraints on vulnerable stocks, in-season adjustments, and efforts to improve fishery stability amid changing conditions.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) encourages those interested in Columbia River fisheries to attend the April 2 meeting in Ridgefield to discuss these fisheries, whether in person or virtually, to stay informed. More information about this meeting, including meeting resources and materials, is available on WDFW’s North of Falcon meeting webpage.
More information
- Please note that parking at the Southwest Washington regional office in Ridgefield is limited. Those planning to attend in person are encouraged to carpool if possible.
- Refer to the Columbia River reports, forecasts, returns, and fishery plans webpage for more information about this year’s salmon and steelhead seasons.
- Learn more about the complex world of Columbia River fisheries management in our two-part video series (Part 1 and Part 2) on WDFW’s YouTube channel.
March 27, 2026 – WDFW hosted two virtual discussions on inner-marine and freshwater recreational salmon fisheries for the 2026–2027 season
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fishery managers held two virtual public meetings on March 24 and March 26 to discuss Puget Sound marine and freshwater, and Hood Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca recreational salmon fisheries.
These North of Falcon (NOF) meetings are part of the annual process, which involves a series of public and state/tribal government-to-government meetings through mid-April to come to an agreement for the upcoming year’s salmon fishing season.
The meeting presentations included a discussion on salmon forecasts and abundances, management objectives (which are grounds to ensure enough salmon return to spawn in rivers), preliminary recreational fishery opportunities in 2026–2027, and public input.
Current modeling (a mathematical representation of a stock or fishery based on data) of Chinook and coho fishing seasons are exceeding management goals on some stocks. The Nooksack (spring stock), Stillaguamish, and Snohomish wild Chinook, and Snohomish natural coho will likely limit recreational fisheries. Fisheries in a number of marine and freshwater areas will need to be reduced from the current proposals to meet the conservation criteria.
In Puget Sound, the Tulalip Bubble fishery has seen a substantial increase in angler effort and catch during the past three-year period. WDFW is considering a number of different options that will likely result in the fishery looking different than in previous years. Like other marine area fisheries, the Tulalip Bubble fishery will be managed in-season to remain within preseason predicted impacts for the 2026 season.
In Hood Canal, the Quilcene River from the Highway 101 Bridge to the mouth is undergoing a major habitat restoration project. Certain areas will see mandatory closures and/or limited public access to fishing areas in late summer and fall. This is to protect public safety around active construction work areas and private property concerns. Project partners are building new channels, which will divert flows during August and September.
During the mid-1900s, the Quilcene River was channelized and confined to the southern margin of the valley. These actions severely impacted historic salmon habitat and created unsettled sediment build-up that increased flooding in residential areas further downstream. The large-scale projects will also enhance salmon spawning and rearing habitat and expand fishable waters. For project details and benefits, refer to the project webpage.
To view additional 2026–2027 recreational marine and freshwater salmon fishery proposals from this past week’s meetings, refer to the Puget Sound freshwater and marine recreational fisheries discussion. Refer to the Hood Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca recreational fisheries discussion.
The second public North of Falcon meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m., Tuesday, March 31, at the Lynnwood Embassy Suites, 20610 44th Avenue West, Lynnwood. This meeting has both in-person and online attendance options. Register in advance on the WDFW events webpage.
Washington, Oregon, and California salmon fishing seasons are expected to be finalized during the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meetings on April 7–12 in Portland, Oregon.
For a list of remaining statewide salmon-related public meetings, visit the WDFW North of Falcon public meeting webpage.
Other North of Falcon developments
· The proposed Baker Lake sockeye fishery is planned to begin July 11 with a four fish daily limit. The 2026 Baker Lake sockeye forecast is 70,861, another strong return. The 2025 sockeye forecast was 60,214 and the in-season return was around 92,000, which was a new record-size return. The forecast is 67% over the recent 10-year average.
· In addition to attending meetings throughout the state, the public can participate in the 2026 NOF process by submitting online comments on potential fisheries at WDFW’s NOF public input webpage. WDFW listens closely to the input of anglers statewide and attempts to find solutions that best serve the wide array of interested participants.
· Beginning April 1, 2026, anglers can choose to use an electronic catch record card (eCRC) to record and report salmon, steelhead, halibut, and sturgeon. Recreational Dungeness crab reporting by eCRC will be available beginning summer 2026. WDFW still offers paper reporting options for anglers who prefer it, but paper licenses and catch record cards will look different this license year compared to in the past.
The new eCRCs are available in the new MyWDFW and Fish Washington® mobile apps. No cell service required — anglers can save entries, and information will automatically submit once your device reconnects.
· WDFW fishery managers continue to call on salmon anglers to submit Voluntary Salmon Trip Reports to help to increase the amount of data available for management purposes. These trip reports are just one tool in a suite of options fisheries managers use to collect biological and fishery data for Puget Sound salmon.
Voluntary Trip Reports may be used alongside test fishing data to provide the proportion of each of the four size/mark categories of fish: legal size clipped, sublegal size clipped, legal size unclipped and sublegal size unclipped. Other monitoring tools include dockside sampling, test fishing, and boat surveys. You may still be asked questions about your catch at the dock by catch samplers and still need to fill out your Catch Record Card. Your catch is not being double counted because the information used from the form is the proportion and not numbers of fish.
Anglers can complete the Voluntary Salmon Trip Report Form online or visit the WDFW website to download a paper copy.
March 18, 2026 — WDFW hosts North of Falcon salmon-season setting meeting
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fishery managers held a public salmon season setting meeting today in Olympia. This first North of Falcon (NOF) meeting is part of the annual process, which involves a series of public and state/tribal government-to-government meetings through mid-April to come to an agreement for the upcoming year’s salmon fishing season.
The meeting presentation included the 2026 salmon forecasts/abundances, an initial discussion on the 2026–2027 fishing season package that could resemble the 2025–2026 season, and public input.
Here are the 2026 Puget Sound recreational considerations/expectations:
· Expectations for 2026–2027 marine area recreational Chinook fisheries should be similar to 2025. Wild Chinook stocks most likely to be limiting are the Stillaguamish, Snohomish, and Nooksack (spring stock) rivers.
· The Quilcene River in Hood Canal is undergoing a major habitat restoration in-river project and will likely affect accessibility to fishing areas for coho in late summer and fall in 2026.
· Wild coho stocks for some Puget Sound rivers could limit marine area recreational fisheries. The Skagit River wild coho forecast is up significantly.
· Many rivers in 2026–2027 should experience similar salmon fishing opportunities to 2025. A lack of snowpack, low flows, and warm temperatures may affect some freshwater opportunities. Continued poor stocks of summer and fall Chinook could affect fishing season outcomes for the Snohomish/Skykomish rivers.
· To view the 2026–2027 recreational marine and freshwater salmon fishery proposals from today’s meeting, refer to the NOF 1 video presentation at this link, which will be posted soon.
Expansions or changes to fisheries can be considered during the NOF process but may affect opportunities in other areas. The likelihood of implementing any new marine or freshwater fisheries could be a challenge given the low abundances of several Puget Sound wild Chinook and coho stocks.
State and tribal co-managers will meet Thursday, March 19, and run an initial season model for inside fisheries. This will create a starting point for all fishing options while staying within objectives for certain low wild Chinook and coho abundances.
The second public North of Falcon meeting is Tuesday, March 31, 9 a.m., at the Lynnwood Embassy Suites, 20610 44th Avenue West, Lynnwood. This meeting has both in-person and online attendance options. Register in advance on the WDFW events webpage. For a list of remaining meetings, refer to the WDFW NOF webpage.
Washington, Oregon, and California salmon fishing seasons are expected to be finalized during the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meetings on April 7–12 in Portland, Oregon. For a complete list of upcoming statewide salmon-related public meetings, visit the WDFW North of Falcon public meeting webpage.
Other meeting developments
· The WDFW kickoff salmon forecast meeting was held Feb. 27 in Olympia. Refer to WDFW’s Feb. 27 The Salmon Fishing Current North of Falcon blog post for this year’s initial statewide salmon forecasts or the WDFW NOF forecasts, model runs, and management objectives webpage.
· The PFMC, which brings tribal, federal, and state entities together, established three recreational salmon fishing alternatives in ocean waters three to 200 nautical miles off the Pacific Coast for public review. The PFMC meeting was held March 4–9 in Sacramento, California. To view the alternatives, refer to the WDFW news release.
· The virtual Willapa Bay, Grays Harbor, and North Coast joint salmon fisheries discussion was held March 12. The presentation included local stock forecasts, management objectives, fishery limitations, and initial fishery proposals. There will be a breakout session to discuss coastal, Marine Areas 2–1 and 2–2 (Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor) and freshwater river system fisheries during the NOF meeting on March 31 in Lynnwood. For meeting materials and video, refer to this link.
· The Upper Columbia River and Snake River fisheries discussion was held March 17 in Kennewick. The discussion included salmon forecasts, management objectives, and potential recreational fisheries for the Columbia upstream of Highway 395 in Pasco and Snake. For a video presentation, refer to this link.
· In addition to attending meetings throughout the state, the public can participate in the 2026 NOF process by submitting online comments on potential fisheries at WDFW’s NOF public input webpage. WDFW listens closely to the input of anglers statewide and attempts to find solutions that best serve the wide array of interested participants.
· Beginning April 1, 2026, anglers can choose to use an electronic catch record card (eCRC) to record and report salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon. Recreational Dungeness crab reporting by eCRC will be available beginning summer 2026.
This functionality is available in the new MyWDFW and Fish Washington® mobile apps. The eCRC offers a faster, easier way to report catch while you’re on the water. No cell service required — anglers can save entries, and information will automatically submit once your device reconnects.
Anglers are not required to use eCRCs, and paper reporting options will remain available for those who prefer them. Learn more about how eCRCs work and decide what option is right for you at the WDFW CRC webpage.
· WDFW fishery managers continue to call on salmon anglers to submit Voluntary Salmon Trip Reports to help to increase the amount of data available for management purposes. These trip reports are just one tool in a suite of options fisheries managers use to collect biological and fishery data for Puget Sound salmon.
Voluntary Trip Reports may be used alongside test fishing data to provide the proportion of each of the four size/mark categories of fish: legal size clipped, sublegal size clipped, legal size unclipped and sublegal size unclipped. Other monitoring tools include dockside sampling, test fishing, and boat surveys. You may still be asked questions about your catch at the dock by catch samplers and still need to fill out your Catch Record Card. Your catch is not being double counted because the information used from the form is the proportion and not numbers of fish. Anglers can complete the Voluntary Salmon Trip Report Form online or visit the WDFW website to download a paper copy.
March 9, 2025 — Ocean recreational salmon fishing quotas and season alternatives developed
Fishery managers developed options for Washington’s summer recreational ocean salmon fisheries at the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meetings that concluded today in Sacramento, California.
“With the range of ocean fishery options set, Washington state fishery managers can start working on interior Puget Sound salmon, Columbia River and coastal fisheries,” said Kelly Cunningham, WDFW Fish Program director. “The forecasted adult returns of Chinook and coho played an important role, along with historic catch information, in developing the ocean salmon fishing season options.”
During the meetings, WDFW alongside tribal co-managers, advisor groups and representatives from other West Coast states, considered Columbia River and Washington coastal Chinook and coho forecasted returns along with Puget Sound abundances in determining the initial ocean quota levels for the upcoming season.
The 2026 Columbia River fall Chinook forecast is 651,300, and the coho forecast is 511,200. The 2026 Washington coastal Chinook forecast is 67,727, and the coho forecast is 419,358. Refer to the NOF salmon forecasts webpage for the 2026 wild and hatchery salmon stocks forecasts.
The PFMC, which brings tribal, federal, and state entities together to establish fishing seasons in ocean waters three to 200 nautical miles off the Pacific Coast, approved three alternatives for ocean salmon fisheries for public review. These ocean alternatives will help inform other Washington salmon fisheries as the season-setting process continues through April.
In the March 9 meeting, three preliminary ocean salmon fishing options were approved by the PFMC Council. These initial proposed Chinook subarea guidelines and marked coho quota alternatives include:
Option one: 120,000 Chinook (58,000 recreational) and 130,000 marked coho (109,200).
· Neah Bay (Marine Area 4): Open seven days per week from June 20, either through Sept. 30, or 11,360 marked coho subarea quota is met with a subarea guideline of 14,080 Chinook. Open for all salmon except coho non-retention from June 20 through July 5 with one salmon daily limit. Beginning July 6, open for all salmon with two salmon daily limit. No chum retention beginning Aug. 1. No Chinook retention east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line beginning Aug. 1.
· La Push (Marine Area 3): Open seven days per week from June 20, either through Sept. 30, or 2,840 marked coho subarea quota is met with a subarea guideline of 2,360 Chinook. Open for all salmon except coho non-retention from June 20 through July 5 with one salmon daily limit. Beginning July 6, open for all salmon with two salmon daily limit. No chum retention beginning Aug. 1.
· Westport-Ocean Shores (Marine Area 2): Open seven days per week from June 20, either through Sept. 30, or 40,400 marked coho subarea quota is met with a subarea guideline of 23,540 Chinook. Two salmon daily limit and no more than one may be a Chinook.
· Ilwaco (Marine Area 1): Open seven days per week from June 20, either through Sept. 30, or 54,600 marked coho subarea quota is met with a subarea guideline of 18,020 Chinook. Two salmon daily limit and no more than one may be a Chinook.
Option two: 112,500 Chinook (55,000 recreational) and 120,000 marked coho (100,800).
· Neah Bay (Marine Area 4): Open seven days per week from June 27, either through Sept. 30, or 10,480 marked coho subarea quota is met with a subarea guideline of 13,360 Chinook. Open for all salmon except coho non-retention from June 27 through July 5 with one salmon daily limit. Beginning July 6, open for all salmon with two salmon daily limit. No chum retention beginning Aug. 1. No Chinook retention east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line beginning Aug. 1.
· La Push (Marine Area 3): Open seven days per week from June 27, either through Sept. 30, or 2,620 marked coho subarea quota is met with a subarea guideline of 2,240 Chinook. Open for all salmon except coho non-retention from June 27 through July 5 with one salmon daily limit. Beginning July 6, open for all salmon with two salmon daily limit. No chum retention beginning Aug. 1.
· Westport-Ocean Shores (Marine Area 2): Open seven days per week from June 20, either through Sept. 30, or 37,300 marked coho subarea quota is met with a subarea guideline of 22,310 Chinook. Open for all salmon except coho non-retention from June 20 through July 5 with one salmon daily limit. Beginning July 6, open for all salmon with two salmon daily limit and no more than one may be a Chinook.
· Ilwaco (Marine Area 1): Open seven days per week from June 27, either through Sept. 30, or 50,400 marked coho subarea quota is met with a subarea guideline of 17,090 Chinook. Two salmon daily limit and no more than one may be a Chinook.
Option three: 97,500 Chinook (48,750 recreational) and 90,000 marked coho (75,600).
· Neah Bay (Marine Area 4): Open seven days per week from June 20, either through Sept. 30, or 7,860 marked coho subarea quota is met with a subarea guideline of 11,840 Chinook. Two salmon daily limit. No chum retention beginning Aug. 1. No Chinook retention east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line beginning Aug. 1.
· La Push (Marine Area 3): Open seven days per week from June 20, either through Sept. 30, or 1,970 marked coho subarea quota is met with a subarea guideline of 1,980 Chinook. Two salmon daily limit. No chum retention beginning Aug. 1.
· Westport-Ocean Shores (Marine Area 2): Season will be managed for a total subarea quota of 27,290 marked coho or subarea guideline of 19,780 Chinook. Open five days per week (Sunday-Thursday) from June 28, either through July 30, or until subarea guideline/quota is met. Open seven days per week from July 31 through Sept. 30, or until subarea guideline/quota are met. Two salmon daily limit, and no more than one may be a Chinook.
· Ilwaco (Marine Area 1): Open seven days per week from June 27, either through Sept. 30, or 37,800 marked coho subarea quota is met with a subarea guideline of 15,150 Chinook. Two salmon daily limit and no more than one may be a Chinook.
Buoy 10 (located near the mouth of the Lower Columbia River): The recreational salmon fishery opens Aug. 1 with an expected landed catch of 35,000 marked coho in August and September.
In 2025, the ocean salmon fishing seasons included a Chinook quota of 115,000 (53,750 recreational) and a hatchery-marked coho quota of 108,000 (99,720).
Under these scenarios, fishery managers will monitor the number of salmon recreational anglers catch and may close areas earlier than the above dates if quotas are met. For more details about the options, refer to the PFMC March council meeting webpage and the WDFW news release.
The in-person only PFMC public hearing on ocean salmon management alternatives is March 23 from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Chateau Westport, Beach Room, 710 West Hancock, in Westport.
The species-specific quotas and seasons that the PFMC approved will be part of a comprehensive 2026–2027 salmon-fishing package, which includes marine and freshwater fisheries throughout Washington. WDFW and tribal co-managers will complete the tentative salmon fishing seasons in conjunction with PFMC during its April 7–12 meetings in Portland, Oregon.
Other meeting developments
· Now that the three ocean salmon alternatives are developed at the PFMC meetings, WDFW fishery managers will begin to work on inner-marine and freshwater area fishing seasons.
WDFW will hold the first North of Falcon (NOF) public meeting of the 2026 session from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, at Office Building 2 Auditorium in Olympia.
The meeting will cover statewide management objectives and proposed fishery plans, with a focus on Puget Sound recreational and commercial fisheries. The meeting will be hybrid and pre-registration is required to attend virtually. More information, including meeting materials, will be available on the WDFW event webpage.
· The Willapa Bay, Grays Harbor, and North Coast joint fisheries virtual-only discussion is March 12 from 6–8 p.m. The meeting includes a presentation of ocean options and local stock forecasts, management objectives, fishery constraints, and initial fishery proposals. There will be a session for public feedback. Pre-registration is required to attend virtually. More information, including meeting materials, will be available on the WDFW event webpage.
· For a complete list of upcoming statewide salmon-related public meetings, visit the WDFW North of Falcon public meeting webpage.
· The WDFW kickoff salmon forecast meeting was held on Feb. 27 in Olympia. Refer to WDFW’s Feb. 27 Salmon Fishing Current North of Falcon blog post for this year’s initial statewide salmon forecasts.
· In addition to attending meetings throughout the state, the public can participate in the 2026 NOF process by submitting online comments on potential fisheries at WDFW’s NOF public input webpage. WDFW listens closely to the input of anglers statewide and attempts to find solutions that best serve the wide array of interested participants.
· Beginning April 1, 2026, anglers can choose to use an electronic catch record card (eCRC) to record and report salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon. Recreational Dungeness crab reporting by eCRC will be available beginning summer 2026.
This functionality is available in the new MyWDFW and Fish Washington® mobile apps. The eCRC offers a faster, easier way to report catch while you’re on the water. No cell service required — anglers can save entries, and information will automatically submit once your device reconnects.
Anglers are not required to use eCRCs, and paper reporting options will remain available for those who prefer them. Learn more about how eCRCs work and decide what option is right for you at the WDFW CRC webpage.
· WDFW fishery managers continue to call on salmon anglers to submit Voluntary Salmon Trip Reports to help to increase the amount of data available for in-season management. These trip reports are just one tool in a suite of options fisheries managers use to collect biological and fishery data for Puget Sound salmon.
While the fish you report are not included in the final estimate of total encounters, they can be used alongside test fishing data to provide the proportion of each of the four size/mark categories of fish: legal size clipped, sublegal size clipped, legal size unclipped and sublegal size unclipped. Other monitoring tools include dockside sampling, test fishing, and boat surveys. You may still be asked questions about your catch at the dock by catch samplers and still need to fill out your Catch Record Card. Your catch is not being double counted because the information used from the form is the proportion and not numbers of fish. Anglers can complete the Voluntary Salmon Trip Report Form online or visit the WDFW website to download a paper copy.
March 6, 2026 — Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting
The PFMC is meeting in Sacramento, CA., to develop preliminary ocean salmon fishing regulations for 2026. Discussions during the meeting are focusing on the latest salmon forecasts, management goals, and initial proposed fishing season options.
Forecasted adult returns of Chinook and coho play an important role, along with historic catch information, in developing the ocean salmon fishing season options.
During the meetings, WDFW alongside tribal co-managers, advisor groups and representatives from other West Coast states, consider Columbia River and Washington coastal Chinook and coho forecasted returns along with Puget Sound abundances in determining the initial quota levels for the upcoming season.
The 2026 Columbia River fall Chinook forecast is 651,300, and the coho forecast is 511,200. The 2026 Washington coastal Chinook forecast is 67,727, and the coho forecast is 419,358. To view the 2026 wild and hatchery salmon stocks forecasts, refer to the NOF forecasts webpage.
In the March 6 meeting, three preliminary ocean salmon fishing options were developed. These initial proposed Chinook and hatchery-marked coho quota alternatives include:
· Alternative 1: 120,000 (58,000 recreational) Chinook and 130,000 (109,200) hatchery-marked coho.
· Alternative 2: 112,500 (55,000) Chinook and 120,000 (100,800) hatchery-marked coho.
· Alternative 3: 97,500 (48,750) Chinook and 90,000 (75,600) hatchery-marked coho.
In 2025, the ocean salmon fishing seasons included a Chinook quota of 115,000 (53,750 recreational) and a hatchery-marked coho quota of 108,000 (99,720).
Chinook and coho quotas and season alternatives that the PFMC approves early next week, will be part of a comprehensive 2026–2027 salmon-fishing package, which includes marine and freshwater fisheries throughout Washington. WDFW and tribal co-managers will complete the tentative salmon fishing seasons in conjunction with PFMC during its April 7–12 meetings in Portland, OR.
Other meeting developments
· Once the three ocean salmon alternatives are developed at the PFMC meetings, WDFW fishery managers will begin to work on inner-marine and freshwater area fishing seasons.
WDFW will hold the first North of Falcon (NOF) public meeting of the 2026 session from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, at Office Building 2 Auditorium in Olympia.
The meeting will cover statewide management objectives and proposed fishery plans, with a focus on Puget Sound recreational and commercial fisheries. The meeting will be hybrid and pre-registration is required to attend virtually. More information, including meeting materials, will be available on the WDFW event webpage.
· The Willapa Bay, Grays Harbor, and North Coast joint fisheries virtual-only discussion is March 12 from 6–8 p.m. The meeting includes a presentation of ocean options and local stock forecasts, management objectives, fishery constraints, and initial fishery proposals. There will be a session for public feedback. Pre-registration is required to attend virtually. More information, including meeting materials, will be available on the WDFW event webpage.
· For a complete list of upcoming statewide salmon-related public meetings, visit the WDFW North of Falcon public meeting webpage.
· The WDFW kickoff salmon forecast meeting was held on Feb. 27 in Olympia. Refer to WDFW’s Feb. 27 Salmon Fishing Current North of Falcon blog post for this year’s initial statewide salmon forecasts.
· In addition to attending meetings throughout the state, the public can participate in the 2026 NOF process by submitting online comments on potential fisheries at WDFW’s NOF public input webpage. WDFW listens closely to the input of anglers statewide and attempts to find solutions that best serve the wide array of interested participants.
· Beginning April 1, 2026, anglers can choose to use an electronic catch record card (eCRC) to record and report salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon. Recreational Dungeness crab reporting by eCRC will be available beginning summer 2026.
This functionality is available in the new MyWDFW and Fish Washington® mobile apps. The eCRC offers a faster, easier way to report catch while you’re on the water. No cell service required — anglers can save entries, and information will automatically submit once your device reconnects.
Anglers are not required to use eCRCs, and paper reporting options will remain available for those who prefer them. Learn more about how eCRCs work and decide what option is right for you at the WDFW CRC webpage.
· WDFW fishery managers continue to call on salmon anglers to submit Voluntary Salmon Trip Reports to help to increase the amount of data available for in-season management. These trip reports are just one tool in a suite of options fisheries managers use to collect biological and fishery data for Puget Sound salmon.
While the fish you report are not included in the final estimate of total encounters, they can be used alongside test fishing data to provide the proportion of each of the four size/mark categories of fish: legal size clipped, sublegal size clipped, legal size unclipped and sublegal size unclipped. Other monitoring tools include dockside sampling, test fishing, and boat surveys. You may still be asked questions about your catch at the dock by catch samplers and still need to fill out your Catch Record Card. Your catch is not being double counted because the information used from the form is the proportion and not numbers of fish. Anglers can complete the Voluntary Salmon Trip Report Form online or visit the WDFW website to download a paper copy.
Feb. 27, 2026 — Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) release salmon forecasts
WDFW presented initial 2026–2027 statewide salmon forecasts, developed jointly between WDFW and tribal co-managers, during a virtual public meeting on Friday, Feb. 27 in Olympia.
While the salmon forecasts have come to light, we are still a couple months away from knowing exactly how those will correlate into specific marine and freshwater area fishing seasons. Joined by hundreds of public attendees in-person and virtually, WDFW fishery managers discussion focused on management objectives, environmental factors and how they affect salmon, and feedback from the public and sport fishing advisory groups. For meeting materials refer to the WDFW events webpage.
The 2026 Puget Sound summer/fall Chinook forecast is 261,802 compared to 248,272 in 2025. The Puget Sound wild Chinook forecast is 30,053 compared to 27,958 in 2025. The hatchery Chinook forecast is 231,749 compared to 220,314 in 2025. The hatchery Chinook forecast is up 16% and the wild forecast is up 7% compared to 2025. The wild Chinook stocks are most likely to be limiting for marine area recreational fisheries are the Stillaguamish, Snohomish, and Nooksack (spring stock).
The 2026 Puget Sound coho forecast is 886,591 compared to 727,058 in 2025. The 2026 wild coho forecast of 404,380 is up from 264,878 in 2025. The hatchery forecast of 482,211 is up from 462,180 in 2025. The hatchery coho forecast is up 4% and the wild forecast is up 53% compared to 2025. The wild coho stocks are most likely to be limiting for marine area recreational fisheries are Hood Canal, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Thompson River in British Columbia.
The 2026 Baker Lake sockeye forecast is 70,861 and is predicted to be another strong return. The 2025 sockeye forecast was 60,214 and the in-season return was around 92,000 and a new record-size return. The forecast is 67% over the recent 10-year average.
The 2026 Wenatchee Lake sockeye forecast is 85,200 compared to 94,000 in 2025. The 2024 record breaking sockeye return was 190,117 (97,000 was the forecast in 2024). The 2026 forecast remains well above the spawning escapement objective of 23,000 at Tumwater Dam (50,828 sockeye were counted in 2025), and if that happens there is a possibility for another late-summer sport fishery in the lake.
Fishery managers’ next steps in the salmon season setting process include determining where there are harvestable surpluses; proposing fisheries and predicting catches; modeling fisheries to shape which stocks are of conservation concern and constraining fisheries; and negotiating with tribal co-managers and other states for equitable catch sharing plans and impacts on weak salmon stocks.
WDFW will hold the first North of Falcon public meeting of the 2026 session from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, at Office Building 2 Auditorium in Olympia. The meeting will cover statewide management objectives and proposed fishery plans, with a focus on Puget Sound recreational and commercial fisheries. The meeting will be hybrid and pre-registration is required to attend virtually. More information, including meeting materials, will be available on the WDFW event webpage.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meets on March 4–9 in Sacramento, California. During the meetings, WDFW alongside tribal co-managers and representatives from other West Coast states will develop three proposed ocean salmon season and quota options that the PFMC considers for adoption. For event details, agenda, and materials, visit the PFMC website.
Washington, Oregon, and California salmon fishing seasons are expected to be finalized during a PFMC meeting on April 7–12 in Portland, Oregon. For a complete list of upcoming statewide salmon-related public meetings, visit the WDFW North of Falcon public meeting webpage.
Other meeting developments
· On the coast, the 2026 wild Chinook forecast is 33,878 compared to 32,823 in 2025. The hatchery Chinook forecast is 33,849 compared to 42,440 in 2025. The hatchery forecast is down 20% and the wild forecast is down 2% compared to 2025. The 2026 wild coho forecast of 152,360 up from 136,961 in 2025. The hatchery forecast is 266,998 up from 244,939 in 2025. The hatchery forecast is up 9% and the wild forecast is up 11% compared to 2025.
· The 2026 Columbia River fall Chinook forecast is 651,300 compared to the forecast of 718,000 and an actual return of 685,511 in 2025. The 2026 Columbia River coho forecast is 511,200 and lower than the forecast of 479,700 and the actual return of 614,618 in 2025. The 2026 coho forecast is slightly larger than the 10-yr average of 478,000. The coho forecast is the ocean abundance, which means these are fish forecasted before they enter the river.
· The 2026 Columbia River sockeye forecast of 274,900 down from a forecast of 350,200 and an actual return of 167,549 in 2025. The forecast is 88% of the 2016–2025 average total return of 311,042 sockeye. The 2026 Okanogan River forecast is 184,000 (248,000 was forecast and the actual return of 101,551 in 2025). The Okanogan forecast is down 19% over recent 10-year average.
· The 2026 Puget Sound fall chum forecast is 1,178,989 compared to 1,278,190 in 2025. The North Puget Sound forecast, 166,423; Central and South Puget Sound, 624,946; Hood Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca is 387,799; Grays Harbor, 93,877; and Willapa Bay, 110,837.
· Beginning April 1, 2026, anglers can choose to use an electronic catch record card (eCRC) to record and report salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and Puget Sound Dungeness crab catch. Recreational Dungeness crab reporting by eCRC will be available beginning summer 2026. This functionality is available in the new MyWDFW and Fish Washington® mobile apps and offer a faster, easier way to report catch while you’re on the water. No cell service required — anglers can save entries, and information will automatically submit once your device reconnects. Anglers are not required to use eCRCs, and paper reporting options will remain available for those who prefer them. Learn more about how eCRCs work and decide what option is right for you at the WDFW CRC webpage.
· WDFW fishery managers continue to call on salmon anglers to submit Voluntary Salmon Trip Reports to help to increase the amount of data available for in-season management. These trip reports are just one tool in a suite of options fisheries managers use to collect biological and fishery data for Puget Sound salmon.
While the fish you report are not included in the final estimate of total encounters, they can be used alongside test fishing data to provide the proportion of each of the four size/mark categories of fish: legal size clipped, sublegal size clipped, legal size unclipped and sublegal size unclipped. Other monitoring tools include dockside sampling, test fishing, and boat surveys. You may still be asked questions about your catch at the dock by catch samplers and still need to fill out your Catch Record Card. Your catch is not being double counted because the information used from the form is the proportion and not numbers of fish. Anglers can complete the Voluntary Salmon Trip Report Form online or visit the WDFW website to download a paper copy.
For a complete list of upcoming statewide salmon-related public meetings, visit the WDFW North of Falcon public meeting schedule.
Feb. 20, 2026 — Columbia River spring Chinook fishing seasons set
The 2026 Columbia River recreational spring Chinook salmon fishing season has been set after fishery managers from Washington and Oregon on Wednesday approved the season structure during a joint state hearing.
This year’s forecast projects 228,700 spring Chinook will return to the Columbia River’s mouth, which is less than the estimated 252,502 that returned in 2025. The forecast estimates 147,300 of those fish will return to tributaries upstream of Bonneville Dam, which is higher than the 10-year average return of 126,248, but less than last year’s actual return of 154,703 upriver fish.
“This year’s upriver spring Chinook forecast is improved compared to last year’s forecast and is above the 10-year average, which allows for some additional fishing opportunity early in the season,” said Ryan Lothrop, Columbia River fisheries manager with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “We’re committed to preserving and protecting the resource while providing sustainable recreational opportunities consistent with our management objectives. That balance drives how we set these fisheries.”
Under permanent regulations, salmon and steelhead fishing is open daily through March 31 from the mouth of the Columbia River to the Interstate 5 bridge. However, spring Chinook typically do not arrive in large numbers until late March or April.
The Columbia River will be open for the following dates and locations in 2026:
- March 1 to April 8: Buoy 10 line upstream to Beacon Rock, plus only the Oregon and Washington banks (by hand-cast only for Washington) from Beacon Rock upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline marker. Salmon and steelhead: The daily limit is six, with no more than two adults, and only one may be an adult Chinook. All wild steelhead and salmon other than hatchery Chinook must be released. Salmon must be at least 12 inches to keep. Shad retention is permitted, with no size minimum or daily limit.
- April 1 to 26 and May 2: Tower Island power lines (approximately six miles below The Dalles Dam) upstream to the Washington/Oregon border, plus only the Oregon and Washington banks (by hand-cast only for Washington) from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Tower Island power lines. Salmon and steelhead: The daily limit is six, with no more than two adults, and only one may be an adult Chinook. All wild steelhead and salmon other than hatchery Chinook must be released. Salmon must be at least 12 inches to keep.
In 2026, recreational anglers are projected to harvest approximately 5,800 adult Chinook below Bonneville Dam, and 700 from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Washington/Oregon border prior to the run-size update.
Fishery managers will monitor the fisheries, dam counts, and hatchery returns as the season progresses and adjust as necessary. The U.S. v. Oregon Technical Advisory Committee typically provides an initial run size update in mid-May. Once the fisheries close, fishery managers will evaluate the spring Chinook in-season data and determine if there is sufficient room to add more fishing dates.
Salmon and steelhead rules and limits in Deep River will be the same as the mainstem Columbia River when the mainstem is open to spring Chinook retention. Based on preseason forecasts, anglers can also expect to harvest spring Chinook in the Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis rivers in 2026.
As of Jan. 1, 2026, an endorsement is required to fish for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and many of its Washington tributaries. Endorsements are available to buy online. Learn more about the endorsement, its cost, and the required locations on the Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement webpage.
Anglers should review the Washington Sport Fishing rules pamphlet or Fish Washington® mobile app for all permanent rules for the waters they plan to fish, as well as check for any emergency rule changes before heading out. To receive regulation updates and Columbia River Compact and joint state fishery notices via email, subscribe to WDFW’s mailing lists.
Spring Chinook fishing tips
Trolling is the preferred method for anglers targeting spring Chinook in the lower Columbia River mainstem, while anchor fishing can be effective in areas with stronger currents. Many anglers find success using bait-wrapped plugs, herring, or prawns, with a diver or weight to keep gear near the riverbed, or bottom, where Chinook typically travel. Flashers are often used in combination with baits or lures to create additional attraction through flash and vibration. Using barbless hooks is required.
Selective fishing practices are essential to protecting wild stocks, particularly those listed under the Endangered Species Act. Anglers should handle fish with care, keeping wild salmon and steelhead in the water as much as possible when preparing to release. For tips on how to properly release a salmon or steelhead, refer to our blog post or watch our YouTube video.
Feb. 11, 2026 — WDFW invites public participation in annual salmon season-setting process
The 2025–2026 Washington salmon season setting process kicks off on Friday, Feb. 27 when WDFW fishery managers have scheduled opportunities for the public to participate in a hybrid statewide forecast meeting in Olympia.
WDFW will present initial salmon forecasts developed by WDFW and tribal co-manager fisheries biologists on Feb. 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Office Building 2 Auditorium, 1115 Washington Street S.E. in Olympia. The main session of the Feb. 27 meeting will be available to watch via Zoom webinar. Participants must register for the webinar in advance by going to this weblink. The public can refer to the WDFW salmon forecast meeting news release for more information.
This will be followed by a Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting from March 4–9 in Sacramento, CA, where initial 2026 ocean fishing options will be adopted.
The first NOF public meeting to shape fisheries for inner-marine and freshwater salmon fisheries is March 18 in Olympia, and the second NOF public meeting is March 31 in Lynnwood. The final salmon seasons will be tentatively adopted when the PFMC meets from April 7–12 in Portland, OR. A full timeline of the state’s NOF process, including a public meeting schedule with opportunities to participate in meetings and provide public feedback, visit the WDFW North of Falcon webpage.
Feb. 11, 2026 — Columbia River spring Chinook fishing seasons to be announced soon
The first in a series of meetings is a hybrid joint state hearing scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 19 at 11:30 a.m. where Washington and Oregon fishery managers will consider Columbia River recreational spring Chinook fisheries.
The Feb. 19 hearing will be held at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) Clackamas office, 17330 S.E. Evelyn Street, Clackamas, OR 97015 and a teleconference call-in option will be distributed ahead of the meeting via email. The public can sign up to receive email notices by going to WDFW mailing lists. More information is available on the Columbia River recreational fisheries webpage.
Spring Chinook primarily enter freshwater during February through June to spawn in Columbia River tributaries during August through October. Returning adults are comprised of lower river (originating from tributaries downstream of Bonneville Dam) and upriver (originating from tributaries upstream of Bonneville Dam) stocks.
Most wild spring Chinook entering the Columbia River are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and return to the Snake River and Upper Columbia River tributaries.
The total spring Chinook forecast for 2026 is 228,700 compared to the preseason forecast of 217,500 and the actual return of 252,502 in 2025.
In 2026, preseason forecasting anticipates a return of 147,300 adult upriver-origin spring Chinook and is 117% of the average return in the past the 10-year average return of 126,247 from 2016 to 2025. Approximately 154,703 adult aged upriver-origin spring Chinook returned to the Columbia River in 2025, which was above the preseason forecast of 122,500.
You can find all the early Columbia River spring and summer salmon forecasts by going to the WDFW website.
Under the current permanent WDFW regulations, the 2026 spring Chinook fishery on the Lower Columbia is open daily through March 31 from Buoy 10 to the Interstate-5 Bridge.
