Central coast all-depth halibut fishing closes, nearshore opens, June 30

Excellent weather and hungry halibut combined to approach the quota for the spring all-depth Pacific halibut fishery. Fishery managers closed the fishery Thursday, June 26, until Aug. 1, when the summer all-depth fishery opens.  “Last weekend the halibut fishing was excellent,” said Lynn Mattes, ODFW’s project leader for halibut. “The weather allowed a lot of folks the opportunity to fish and many of them were successful.”  With today’s closure, halibut anglers will turn their attention to the popular central coast nearshore fishery that opens July 1, seven days a week inside the 40-fathom regulatory line. This fishery will remain open until the 22,274-pound quota is reached or until Oct. 31, whichever comes first.  The spring all-depth Pacific halibut fishery for the central coast subarea (from Cape Falcon south to Humbug Mountain) was open 12 days over four different periods, resulting in the harvest of approximately 113,000 pounds of Pacific halibut.  The summer all-depth fishery will open Aug. 1 with a quota of approximately 46,000 pounds. The summer season for the central coast all-depth fishery is scheduled to be open every other Friday and Saturday until the all-depth quota is taken or Oct. 31, whichever comes first.   Fishing for halibut on the north coast (from Leadbetter Point, Wash., to Cape Falcon) is open at all depths Thursday through Sunday and inside the 40-fathom line on days the all-depth fishery is not open until quotas are taken.  On the south coast (south of Humbug Mountain) the halibut fishery is open through Oct. 31 or until the quota is taken.  For the latest season information visit http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/halibut/index.asp.  More details on regulations can be found at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/halibut/index.asp. General regulations can be found in the 2013 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations booklet.