ONE OF THE largest pink forecasts in history is set to return this summer and state fishery managers will bump up limits in response.
Anglers in Washington can expect similar salmon fishing opportunities in 2025-2026 compared to last season, along with a strong forecasted return of pinks to Puget Sound this summer, state Department of Fish and Wildlife fishery managers announced.
The 2025-2026 salmon fishing seasons, cooperatively developed by state and tribal co-managers, were tentatively set this week at the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting held in San Jose, Calif.
Continued low returns of some key Puget Sound chinook salmon stocks are expected to limit some salmon fisheries in the upcoming season. They include the Skagit summer and fall; Nooksack spring; Stillaguamish; Skokomish and mid-Puget Sound stocks.
The tentative 2025-2026 statewide salmon season recommendations adopted by the council now move forward for approval by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Final salmon fishing regulations are scheduled to be adopted in early June.
Puget Sound
In Marine Area 5 (Sekiu) and Marine Area 6 (East Strait of Juan de Fuca west of a true north/south line through the No. 2 buoy immediately east of Ediz Hook) opens daily beginning July 1 for hatchery summer chinook with specific catch quotas.
The 2025 Puget Sound pink salmon forecast is 7.76 million — up 70 percent from the 10-year cycle average — and predicted to be the third largest total return on record (up from a 2023 forecast of 3.95 million and an actual return of 7.22 million).
In southern British Columbia, the Fraser River pink forecast is 27 million.
With the expected strong return of pinks, Fish and Wildlife added two additional pinks to the daily limit for all inner-marine areas except Marine Area 8–2 (Ports Susan and Gardner) through Sept. 30.
Area 9 weekend
Fishery managers aligned several Puget Sound marine area summer hatchery chinook fisheries to begin on the same date to spread out fishing pressure. In Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands), Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton area), the hatchery chinook fishery will tentatively open Thursdays to Saturdays only beginning July 17-19.
Ocean salmon fisheries
The ocean salmon seasons include a recreational chinook quota of 53,750 (41,000 in 2024) and a marked coho quota of 99,720 (79,800 in 2024).
Marine Area 3 (La Push), and Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay) will open seven days per week beginning June 21 for all salmon except coho, then open for an all-salmon fishery beginning July 4 through Sept. 15.
Kids’ Fishing Day
The 24th annual Kids’ Fishing Day is set for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the Water Reuse Demonstration Pond on the north side of Carrie Blake Community Park, 202 N. Blake Ave. in Sequim.
All children ages 14 and younger, accompanied by an adult, can fish without a license.
Each child can catch up to two fish with worms and bait available. Volunteers will also clean each fish for free.
Last year, organizers estimate about 350 children fished during the event.
Rainbow trout are planted from Hurd Creek Fish Hatchery and are hosted in partnership between the North Olympic Peninsula chapter of Puget Sound Anglers, city of Sequim, Department of Fish and Wildlife and the hatchery.
Children 14 and younger can fish for free without a license with a two-catch limit per day after the event, too.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@ peninsuladailynews.com.
