Pacific halibut all-depth fishing closed for year in Columbia River Subarea: Other halibut fishing opportunities remain, May 29

ODFW release – Tuesday, May 28, 2019 – NEWPORT, Ore. –The Pacific halibut all-depth sport fishery in the Columbia River Subarea is closed for the remainder of the year, fishery managers announced.  The all-depth fishery from Leadbetter Point in Washington to Cape Falcon in Oregon was scheduled pre-season to open on May 2 and be open for three sets of 2 open days per week. Effort and catch during the first two sets of open dates were high and preliminary estimates indicate that landings have reached the quota. No quota remains for additional open days. The next open day for the fishery was scheduled for Thursday but the closure takes effect Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. The Columbia River nearshore fishery (inside the 40-fathom line off of Oregon) remains open Monday through Wednesday until Sept. 30 or until the quota of 500 pounds is reached, whichever comes first. Opportunities to fish for Pacific halibut remain open in other areas of Oregon: Off central Oregon between Cape Falcon (near Manzanita) and Humbug Mountain (near Port Orford), anglers may fish for halibut inside the 40-fathom line beginning June 1, seven days a week through Oct. 31 or attainment of the harvest quota (32,591 pounds) for that fishery.    The spring season all-depth halibut fishery off central Oregon (138,947 pounds of quota remaining) is next scheduled to be open May 30-June 1 and June 6-8, with the potential for back-up dates every other week after that. The summer season all-depth is scheduled to begin on Aug. 2-3 every other Friday and Saturday until Oct. 31 or the quota of 67,898 pounds has been met. The high-relief area of Stonewall Bank, west of Newport, is closed to all halibut fishing. The area between Humbug Mountain and the OR/CA Border is open at all depths for Pacific halibut seven days a week through Oct. 31 or until the quota of 11,322 pounds has been met, whichever comes first. Days on which Pacific halibut fishing is open will be announced on the NOAA Fisheries hotline (1-800-662-9825) and posted on the Pacific Halibut sport regulations page at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/halibut/index.asp