Coho run coming up short?

For fishing off the Puget Sound beaches it’s been my best season personally since probably 2013 or 2014. Although I am like at an 0/5 streak the past few days with my fly rod 😞.

I have observed fish traveling in pretty large schools close to shore at some times. But maybe that has to do more with the abundance of bait close to shore more than anything. It will be interesting to what it looks like in the S rivers in the next month or so, then we’ll find out how large the run really is.
 
Lake washington closed to salmon fishing.

Coho run coming back less than expected.
WDFW has announced a Closure in Lake Washington due to fewer than expect counts at the Locks.

Find that decision interesting. During the NOF process told that those Ballard counts were not adequate for in-season Chinook updates but seems to be useful for coho .

WDFW coho retention estimates for several MAs don't seem to indicate a lack of coho. Examples through August in MA 8-2 7,634 were kept which was 241% of modeled expected take, in MA 9 through August the estimated catch was 8,542 or 207% of the expected harvest and in MA 10 the catch through August was 23,167 or 153% of the expected catch. In MA 11 the estimated catch was slightly less than the expected catch.

Clearly some mixed signals and we may see some or " interesting" actions. Meanwhile coho catches in central sound remains solid with the first week of September catches already a significant portion of the expected September catch.

Stay tuned.

Curt
 
Interesting, here's what was at the link when I clicked.

Snohomish River recreational fishing closure​

September 17, 2025

Action: Closes all recreational fishing.

Effective date: Sept. 20-Oct. 31, 2025.

Species affected: All species.

Location: Snohomish River from the mouth at the Burlington-Northern Railroad bridges (including all channels, sloughs, and interconnected waterways, excluding all tributaries) to the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers.

Reason for action: Allowed recreational fishing impacts to Chinook salmon present in Snohomish River are expected to be reached by the end of the day Friday, Sept. 19.

Additional information: Fishery managers encourage anglers to sign up for Fishing Rule Change email notifications and to check for emergency rules on the WDFW website before fishing. Refer to the 2025–2026 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet for current regulations. Download the Fish Washington® mobile app to stay up to date on the go.

Information contact: North Puget Sound Region, 425-775-1311, TeamMillCreek@dfw.wa.gov.
Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. Check the WDFW "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for details on definitions and regulations. Fishing rules are subject to change. Visit wdfw.wa.gov/fishing-hotlines to find a list of mobile, web, print, or customer service phone options for the latest rule information.
Request this information in an alternative format or language at wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/requests-accommodation, 833-885-1012, TTY (711), or CivilRightsTeam@dfw.wa.gov.
Updated the link. Not sure what happened there.

Edit: it's the wdfw website. Another thing they have screwed up.
 
Back
Top