the_chemist
Life of the Party
https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/emergency-rules/salmon-fishing-close-lake-washington-2026-09
Coho run coming back less than expected.
Coho run coming back less than expected.
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Coho run coming up short?
- Thread starter the_chemist
- Start date
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 
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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.
.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.
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
the_chemist
Life of the Party
Updated the link. Not sure what happened there.
Edit: it's the wdfw website. Another thing they have screwed up.
I have not been down there to look, but two people have independently told me that there are lots of sea lions at the locks and that they are chowing down on the coho. So perhaps that is part of the story, there were loads of coho out in the sound before this last rain event.
speedbird
Life of the Party
Went out today and last night and struggled. I fished Edmonds and while I caught fish it was a struggle. One 7.5lber last night and a 7lber for my buddy (Who also released a very nice looking 24" Blackmouth on a jig - first time setting up a successful jig drift for salmon for me). Two football shaped 5ish lbers that may or may not have been resis, and three fish in the 2-4lb range that I am certain were. Talking to folks at the dock fishing 8-2 and 10, it has been slow and most of the fish have been smaller. That said, the one gentleman who fished Area 9 did much better. Not sure if he is just a better fisherman than most or if most of the fish are still hanging out over there.
You guys know better than me but in my experience fishing the past three years, ocean coho tend to show up in the last two weeks of August before the run builds to a peak right about now. I only caught one ocean fish this August this year. I imagine the run may just be later than expected this year.
You guys know better than me but in my experience fishing the past three years, ocean coho tend to show up in the last two weeks of August before the run builds to a peak right about now. I only caught one ocean fish this August this year. I imagine the run may just be later than expected this year.
Jeff Dodd
Steelhead
Maybe you’ve run into this post in one of the FB Puget Sound fishing groups? A member assembles it and shares it.
I’ve only made it out twice in the boat, taking guests downrigger fishing in area 9. Once the last weekend in August, and again last weekend. Lots of Coho around in Area 9. Lots of fish being caught!
I had taken a 5-year vacation from salmon trolling. It has me looking forward to a trip to Dry Falls next month for something completely different
I’ve only made it out twice in the boat, taking guests downrigger fishing in area 9. Once the last weekend in August, and again last weekend. Lots of Coho around in Area 9. Lots of fish being caught!
I had taken a 5-year vacation from salmon trolling. It has me looking forward to a trip to Dry Falls next month for something completely different
More fish to come.
Unfortunately we’ve had years when a bunch show up after things close. When we used to be able to fish MA 9 in October, that wasn’t an issue.
Other than that recent rain, it’s been dry. That might change late next week. The outgoing tides are very weak right now as well.
SF
Unfortunately we’ve had years when a bunch show up after things close. When we used to be able to fish MA 9 in October, that wasn’t an issue.
Other than that recent rain, it’s been dry. That might change late next week. The outgoing tides are very weak right now as well.
SF
And Lake Washington is back open for coho...pretty large variance in the counts at the Ballard locks, from days in the thousands followed by days in the dozens...
Availability/catch rates/total catches for the saltwater sporfishing component have been unusually high so far, still some uncertainty on how that relates to actual abundance and how large the run actually is. Terminal areas or even MA 11 have not seen similar signs and catch rates in Sekiu/straits seem to be declining compared to Central Puget Sound. I also see reductions to 1 fish limit in MA9 and 8.2.
wdfw.wa.gov
wdfw.wa.gov
Availability/catch rates/total catches for the saltwater sporfishing component have been unusually high so far, still some uncertainty on how that relates to actual abundance and how large the run actually is. Terminal areas or even MA 11 have not seen similar signs and catch rates in Sekiu/straits seem to be declining compared to Central Puget Sound. I also see reductions to 1 fish limit in MA9 and 8.2.
Lake Washington reopens for salmon fishing
Action: Returns Lake Washington to permanent rules listed in the Washington Sport Fishing Rules, reopening salmon fishing.Effective dates: Immediately
wdfw.wa.gov
Puget Sound marine areas 8-2 and 9 salmon fishing update
Action: Reduces the salmon daily limit to one effective Monday, Sept. 21.Species affected: Salmon.Location and effective dates:Marine Area 8-2 (Port
wdfw.wa.gov
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fatbillybob
Steelhead
When I was a kid we fished redondo harbor caught all kinds of fish of legal take size, yellow tail, cali halibut, bonito, baracuda. Then the seals/sealoins came and eat all the fish. Now nothing is in the harbor and seals moved on. Something needs to be done with the marine mammals act before the pnw has no more fish too.
Finding scapegoats is always a great idea in the short term, or perhaps we let nature do what nature does and maybe try to control the human factors?
Or just engineer up some super otters to take care of the seals and sea lions. MEGA parking lots!!
Yeah... no way the runs are under forecast. The forecast wasn't spectacular to begin with, and yet the people I know who fish the ocean tell me it's the best it's been out there in 30+ years; coho and kings. WDFW needs to find a new way to assess returns vs. expectations. The trouble is they don't get to the places where we can count them before they decide it's "time." Just like the leaves on the trees turn at different times year to year, salmon know when it's time to head for the gravel, and we don't have any control over the determining factors. Every angler I know would pay a bunch for a reliable understanding of those factors (besides a big rain, of course), and the one thing I am pretty sure of is that our historical data and tracking mechanisms don't factor into their "thinking."
I also have serious doubts that seals ate them all at Ballard. To be clear, I acknowledge that we have too many pinnipeds, especially in Puget Sound, but just like tourists hoping to watch salmon swim past a choke point like the Ballard Locks, sometimes the seals spend the day sitting around and waiting for nothing. Fish move when they want to move. It's never a steady stream of fish constantly moving past the points where we count them, and we shouldn't manage fisheries as though it were.
Another point... if there aren't good numbers of fish around, it doesn't matter how many people are fishing; very few will get caught. The whole thing kind of takes care of itself, really. When there are lots of fish, we have good fishing, but we still don't come anywhere close to catching them all; when they're not around, very few get caught, and very little harm is done. Indeed, when it's like that, effort goes way down, because most people who fish like to... wait for it... CATCH FISH!
I say let the people go fishing early and adapt when necessary. If the fish aren't there, the fishing will suck, and fewer people will participate. If people are catching lots of fish, it means there are plenty around to absorb the additional effort and harvest.
One thing that drives me nuts about being a mostly in-river angler in this state is how many prime, sustainable coho I have caught over the years during the days and weeks prior to opening dates for harvest. I have probably released almost as many prime, good-eating hatchery fish due to harvest closures over the years as I have harvested during open seasons. Why not just let me bonk those fish that are either going to die at the hatchery or get caught by someone else after the opener? Rather than delaying openers to try and protect fish that were literally bred for harvest, I favor allowing harvest of early timed hatchery coho September 1. Delay the opener for the wilds we are supposed to be trying to help (most of which show up later in the run anyway), but let the little guy get while the gettin's good! Need to protect weak chinook stocks moving during that time period? No bait should put a big dent in that risk. I personally can't imagine that policy resulting in an overharvest of anything before mid-October, and if October 15 rolls around and we're concerned about returns, start thinking about reduced limits or early closures that actually protect the fish intended.
If you haven't been paying attention, inland openers are getting moved back further and further or disappearing entirely. Meanwhile, people are whacking fish left and right in the ocean and bays, all the way through September. I don't think there's any legitimate argument to be made that killing as many fish as we can before they start making their spawning run is the best way to preserve a dwindling resource that we pretend to value.
I also have serious doubts that seals ate them all at Ballard. To be clear, I acknowledge that we have too many pinnipeds, especially in Puget Sound, but just like tourists hoping to watch salmon swim past a choke point like the Ballard Locks, sometimes the seals spend the day sitting around and waiting for nothing. Fish move when they want to move. It's never a steady stream of fish constantly moving past the points where we count them, and we shouldn't manage fisheries as though it were.
Another point... if there aren't good numbers of fish around, it doesn't matter how many people are fishing; very few will get caught. The whole thing kind of takes care of itself, really. When there are lots of fish, we have good fishing, but we still don't come anywhere close to catching them all; when they're not around, very few get caught, and very little harm is done. Indeed, when it's like that, effort goes way down, because most people who fish like to... wait for it... CATCH FISH!
I say let the people go fishing early and adapt when necessary. If the fish aren't there, the fishing will suck, and fewer people will participate. If people are catching lots of fish, it means there are plenty around to absorb the additional effort and harvest.
One thing that drives me nuts about being a mostly in-river angler in this state is how many prime, sustainable coho I have caught over the years during the days and weeks prior to opening dates for harvest. I have probably released almost as many prime, good-eating hatchery fish due to harvest closures over the years as I have harvested during open seasons. Why not just let me bonk those fish that are either going to die at the hatchery or get caught by someone else after the opener? Rather than delaying openers to try and protect fish that were literally bred for harvest, I favor allowing harvest of early timed hatchery coho September 1. Delay the opener for the wilds we are supposed to be trying to help (most of which show up later in the run anyway), but let the little guy get while the gettin's good! Need to protect weak chinook stocks moving during that time period? No bait should put a big dent in that risk. I personally can't imagine that policy resulting in an overharvest of anything before mid-October, and if October 15 rolls around and we're concerned about returns, start thinking about reduced limits or early closures that actually protect the fish intended.
If you haven't been paying attention, inland openers are getting moved back further and further or disappearing entirely. Meanwhile, people are whacking fish left and right in the ocean and bays, all the way through September. I don't think there's any legitimate argument to be made that killing as many fish as we can before they start making their spawning run is the best way to preserve a dwindling resource that we pretend to value.
How about an Orca hatchery?
Or... genetic therapy to make the existing SRKW prefer pinnipeds to salmon! Of course, we'd still need the hatchery to make enough orcas to make a difference, but this definitely qualifies as the sort of outside-the-box thinking (however impractical) I'm looking for!
Sea World tried that...
the_chemist
Life of the Party
Im beginning to think large return forecasts are nothing more than an excuse for treaty and commercial to harvest more than what is sustainable with the assumption that sporties will get shorted.