The coastal salmon season opens Saturday, and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has set tentative halibut dates starting in August.

All four coastal marine areas, including Marine Area 2 out of Westport, will be open daily to fishing for Chinook salmon, said Wendy Beeghley, a Fish and Wildlife fishery manager.

The season will begin June 20-28 with a Chinook-only fishery, with a one-salmon daily limit for all areas. Coho may not be retained during this period.

Beginning June 29, daily limits increase to two salmon per angler in all areas, and unmarked coho must be released. In Areas 1 and 2, only one of those two salmon may be a Chinook.

Also beginning June 29, Marine Area 2 will be open Sundays through Thursdays, closed Fridays and Saturdays. Areas 1, 3 and 4 will be open seven days per week.

Willapa Bay (Area 2-1) and the portion of Grays Harbor (Area 2-2) west of the Buoy 13 line also will open June 20 under the same rules as Area 2. Regulations for Areas 2-1 and 2-2 will change in August, with details to be listed in the Sport Fishing Rules Pamphlet. The 2020-21 edition will be available in late June.

The recreational catch quotas for 2020 are 26,360 Chinook and 26,500 marked coho. The Chinook quota is up slightly from 2019, but the coho quota is substantially lower than 2019.

All four marine areas are scheduled to close for fishing Sept. 30, but Beeghley noted that they could close earlier if the quota is met.

Throughout the summer, anglers can check WDFW’s web page at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/creel/ocean for updates.

Potential coastal halibut fishing

Coastal halibut fishing remains closed for now, but Fish and Wildlife has been working with stakeholders this spring to discuss options for reopening ocean halibut fishing in August.

“While we realize August is still a ways out, we also want to be open with anglers who we know are eager to plan halibut trips this summer,” said Heather Hall, Fish and Wildlife’s intergovernmental ocean policy coordinator. “We’ve worked hard to develop an approach that will help maximize anglers’ time on the water, bring that economic value back, and continue to keep everyone safe.”

Hall added that the delayed fishery may benefit halibut anglers and their families because ocean conditions should be better in August than when the fishery usually opens in May.

These dates are tentative and subject to change due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

South Coast (Marine Areas 1 and 2): Open Thursday, Aug. 6. Then, beginning Aug. 13, open two days per week, Thursdays and Sundays, through Sept. 30 or until the quota is taken. If catch and effort is tracking slower than anticipated, additional days may be added. Proposed additional dates are Friday, Aug. 28; Friday, Sept. 4; and Friday, Sept. 11.

North Coast (Marine Areas 3 and 4): Open Thursday, Aug. 6. The fishery in this area will be open three days per week, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, Aug. 6 through Sept. 30 or until the quota is taken.