2022 Recreational Halibut Fishing
ODFW release – The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission finalized the 2022 recreational Pacific halibut seasons this afternoon, adopting the staff recommended season dates. The season map with details can be found HERE. Details by subarea are also below: Columbia River Subarea – (Leadbetter Point, WA to Cape Falcon, OR), All-Depth Season: Quota = 18,537 lbs., Open Thurs and Sun May 5-26, Then open every Thurs and Sun beginning June 2, through earlier of the quota being caught or June 30. Nearshore Season: Quota = 500 lbs. Open Mon through Wed inside the 40-fathom regulatory line beginning May 9, through the earlier of the quota being caught or Sept. 30. Central Oregon Coast Subarea – (Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain), Spring All-Depth Season: Quota = 169,963 lbs., Opens Thurs, May 12 through Thurs, June 30, 7-days per week. Available back-up dates, if quota remaining are: July 7-9 and July 21-23, Summer All-Depth Season: Quota = 67,445 lbs., Open Thurs – Sat, Aug 4-6; then every other Thurs-Sat, until Oct 31 or the quota is caught, Nearshore Season: Quota = 32,374 lbs. Opens May 1, 7 days per week, inside the 40-fathom regulatory line, through the earlier of the quota being caught or Oct. 31. Southern Oregon Subarea – (Humbug Mountain to the OR/CA Border), Quota = 8,000 lbs., Opens May 1, 7 days per week, through the earlier of the quota being caught or Oct. 31. Reminder: Immediately tag you halibut on your paper or electronic tag. This means before starting to fish again and definitely before you are headed back to the dock. Tips for tagging fish and game can be found at: https://myodfw.com/articles/tips-tagging-fish-and-game Additional information on the recreational Pacific halibut fishery can be found on ODFW’s recreational halibut webpage.
Commercial Troll Salmon Fishery North of Cape Falcon
ODFW release – April 22, 2022 COMMERCIAL TROLL SALMON ACTION NOTICE: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in consultation with the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), the State of Oregon, the State of Washington, and fishery representatives met today via conference call and have taken the following in-season management action related to the commercial troll salmon season from the US/Canada border to Cape Falcon. ACTIONS TAKEN: The commercial troll salmon fishery for all salmon except coho from the US/Canada Border to Cape Falcon will be open for the period of May 1-15. This season will follow the rules and specifications adopted by the PFMC on April 12 for the 2022 seasons. This season will continue through the earlier of June 29; the May-June overall quota of 18,000 Chinook salmon; or the Leadbetter Pt., WA to Cape Falcon, OR May-June subarea quota of 4,840 Chinook salmon (see additional regulations below). The minimum length for Chinook salmon beginning with the May 1, 2022 season opening from the US/Canada Border to Cape Falcon will be 27” total length (this length will apply in all open seasons in this area through May 15, 2022 unless modified by in-season action). RATIONALE: These actions will bring the adopted seasons from 2021 into compliance with the recently adopted seasons for 2022 which encompasses salmon seasons for the period of May 16, 2022 through May 15, 2023. Additional regulations that apply to vessels fishing out of Oregon North of Cape Falcon that apply to the 2022 seasons include: Vessels landing in Oregon are limited to only fishing between Leadbetter Pt., WA and Cape Falcon, OR. Vessels landing into Oregon must possess a valid commercial license and a valid troll salmon permit. Vessels landing into Oregon are limited to locations on the Oregon side of the Columbia River, the beaches at Gearhart/Seaside and Cannon Beach, or into Garibaldi. Fishers may not possess Chinook salmon South of Cape Falcon, OR that are less than 28” total length, except that fishers may possess and land Chinook salmon that meet the minimum length of 27” total length on those dates when the troll salmon season has been closed South of Cape Falcon for 48 hours or more (those dates for the 2022 May through September seasons are anticipated to be May 18-20, June 15-17, July 3-4, July 12-16, July 24, August 3, August 14-31, September 7-10, and September 17-30).
Vessels fishing in the area between Leadbetter Pt., WA and Cape Falcon, OR are limited to no more than 80 Chinook per landing week (Thursday through Wednesday) from May 1 through June 29, and all salmon must be delivered during the landing week or they will also apply against the week in which they are possessed and delivered. Vessels landing salmon in Oregon from any season North of Cape Falcon are required to notify ODFW within one hour of delivery or prior to transport away from the port of landing by either calling 541-857-2546 or sending notification via e-mail to trollreport@odfw.oregon.gov Notification shall include vessel name and number, number of salmon by species, port of landing and location of delivery, and estimated time of delivery.
Visit https://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/ for more information on Oregon’s ocean salmon seasons and fisheries.
Commission ends North Umpqua hatchery summer steelhead program
ODFW release – SALEM, Ore.—In a split 4-3 vote at their meeting in Astoria today, Commissioners decided to not release hatchery summer steelhead smolts into the North Umpqua this year and eliminate the Rock Creek summer steelhead hatchery program. The vote ends this hatchery program as it will be the second year in a row of no hatchery summer steelhead smolts being released on the North Umpqua. None were released in 2021 due to wildfire impacts. Commissioners heard testimony from two panels representing opposing views on hatchery summer steelhead releases on the North Umpqua, as well as the Coquille Indian Tribe, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Representative David Brock Smith, Representative Boomer Wright, Douglas County Commissioner Tom Kress and about a dozen members of the public who signed up to testify remotely. In other business, the Commission: Amended Burns Paiute Tribe Ceremonial Harvest Permit Hunt Area; Adopted 2022-23 Game Bird Regulations; Set commercial and recreational halibut seasons. The Commission set seasons in keeping with International Pacific Halibut Commission recommendations with this year’s fishery catch limit slightly lower than last year. See a summary of the recreational season at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/halibut/seasonmaps/2022_hbt_map.pdf Adopted 2022 ocean salmon seasons based on NMFS regulations – The Commission adopted ocean salmon fishing regulations for state jurisdiction waters (within three miles offshore) based on Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) adopted seasons. The primary limiting Chinook stocks considered in crafting 2022 ocean fisheries off Oregon were Columbia River natural tule and California Coastal Chinook. Other Chinook stocks of concern include Sacramento River Fall Chinook which have slightly improved, and Klamath River Fall Chinook whose abundance continues to be low. The ocean abundance forecast for Columbia River coho salmon is high at 997,200 fish, which would be slightly higher than last year’s actual return. Season dates and bag limits are available on the PFMC website https://www.pcouncil.org/documents/2022/04/d-6-a-supplemental-stt-report-1-preliminary-analysis-of-tentative-2022-ocean-salmon-fishery-management-measures-04-12-2022.pdf/ and will be posted on MyODFW.com later. A recording of this meeting is available at ODFW’s YouTube channel.