That means it’s time to get all the salmon fishing gear in order and begin thinking about the kickoff to several salmon fisheries planned to open in June.
While the tentatively proposed 2026-2027 salmon fishing season package was finalized in mid-April, they won’t be officially adopted until sometime in mid-June.
The rules set by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) were submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries in early May.
NOAA Fisheries implements the actions through its regulatory channels under the Endangered Species Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Proposed fisheries are not finalized for the 2026-2027 salmon season until NOAA Fisheries approves them.
As part of the North of Falcon process, WDFW is hosting a virtual public hearing on Tuesday, June 9, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and will take additional public comments. Go to this link https://wdfw.wa.gov/events/north-falcon-public-hearing-20260609 to register for the public hearing. Pre-registration is required. Final regulations will be adopted subsequent to that hearing and signed off by the WDFW Director by around mid-June. For a list of the proposed fisheries, go to https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/north-falcon/summaries. The 2026-2027 fishing regulation pamphlet will come out online around June 18. Printed copies should arrive at license dealers and at WDFW offices by June 26.
In the meantime, before rushing out the door, salmon anglers should check on any early-season summer fishery openers by going to the WDFW website (https://wdfw.wa.gov/) to see what areas are scheduled to open and for any possible emergency fishing rule changes or closures.
Where to Go in June
A much-anticipated early-summer salmon fishery occurs in Marine Area 10 (Seattle-Bremerton Area), which is scheduled to be open daily for a coho beginning June 1. Look for coho averaging 2 to 4 pounds in the shipping lanes off Jefferson Head, from the westernmost Kingston boundary line south to Presidents Point, from the Edmonds oil docks south to Richmond Beach, West Point south of Shilshole Bay, along the east side of Bainbridge Island, and the tide rips off Blake Island, Restoration Point, and the northside of Vashon Island west to Southworth.
If your preference is a chance at catching an early-summer hatchery Chinook, then look no further than Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island). Fishing is scheduled to be open beginning June 1. These fish usually consist of a mix of resident and mature migrating Chinook averaging 7- to 15-pounds with some in the 20-plus pound category.
WDFW will monitor the June Marine Area 11 Chinook fishery, and it could close sooner in order to stay within the quota and/or other guidelines. The Chinook catch quota for the June fishery is 1,423, with a total unmarked encounter of 820 and a total sublegal encounter (Chinook under the 22-inch minimum size limit) of 2,186. The Marine Area 11 Chinook fishery is managed under two separate summer quotas, and a second window of opportunity is tentatively proposed to begin on July 23.
Look for salmon off Point Defiance Park in Tacoma from the Clay Banks to Owen Beach; Slag Pile off the Tacoma Yacht Club, outside of Gig Harbor on the “flats” area; northeast side of Vashon Island; Colvos Passage; outside of Quartermaster Harbor; and the southwest side of Vashon Island at Point Dalco. In the northern sections of Marine Area 11, try Dolphin Point and Point Robinson on the east side of Vashon Island, south of the Southworth Ferry Landing, and Apple Tree Cove to Redondo Beach.
If Marine Area 11 is slow or closes sooner than expected, another option is south of the Narrows Bridge in Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound). Locating schools to baitfish is key to raising the bar on success for salmon at Gibson Point, Fox Island Fishing Pier, Hale Passage, Johnson Point, Anderson Island’s east side, and Point Fosdick. Marine Area 13 is scheduled to be open year-round for salmon. Anglers should check the WDFW website or the 2026-2027 regulation pamphlet for details.
Another good Chinook option is the Tulalip Terminal Area Fishery (Marine Area 8-2), which is open Fridays through Saturdays of each week and has a harvest quota of 600 Chinook. The popularity of this fishery has generated some decent action in the past few summers. The WDFW will monitor the Tulalip fishery, and it may close sooner to stay within the harvest quota.
For saltwater anglers without a boat, there are a good number of viable year-round fishing piers to catch salmon. They include the Edmonds, Fox Island, Mukilteo Ferry Landing, Seacrest in West Seattle, Dash Point Dock, Point Defiance Park Boathouse, Les Davis, and Des Moines piers.
If you prefer a freshwater salmon fishery, then make plans to head to the Skagit River (areas open vary depending on the species, hatchery Chinook or sockeye); Cascade River from the mouth to the Rockport-Cascade Road Bridge (opens beginning June 3 on Wednesdays through Saturdays only); and Nooksack River North Fork from Highway 9 Bridge to yellow marker at upstream end of the Kendall Hatchery property open through June 30. Anglers are advised to check the WDFW website for river sections open to salmon fishing and for any possible emergency fishing rule changes or closures.
Ocean Salmon Fisheries on Tap
Later this month – June 20 to be exact, which also coincides with the official first day of summer – many salmon anglers will head to the coast for the Chinook and hatchery coho ocean fishery. The recreational Chinook quota is 54,000 (up a tad from 53,750 in 2025) and a hatchery-marked coho quota of 102,900 (up from 99,720 in 2025).
Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco): Open daily beginning June 20 through Sept. 30, all salmon. The daily limit is two salmon and one Chinook only. The subarea guideline is 16,780 Chinook (16,600 in 2025), and the subarea quota is 51,450 marked coho (49,860 in 2025). Columbia Control Zone closed.
Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores): Open daily beginning June 20 through June 28 for all salmon except coho, and the daily limit is one salmon; release all coho. Fishing is then open seven days per week from June 29 through Sept. 30, for all salmon. Beginning June 29, the daily limit is two salmon, and only one may be a Chinook. The subarea guideline is 21,910 Chinook (22,270 in 2025), with a subarea quota of 38,070 marked coho (36,900 in 2025).
Marine Area 3 (La Push): Open daily beginning June 20 through June 30, all salmon except coho, and the daily limit is one salmon; release all coho. Open seven days per week from July 1 through Sept. 30, all salmon. The subarea guideline is 2,200 Chinook (2,280 in 2025), with 2,680 marked coho subarea quota (2,590 in 2025). Beginning July 1, the daily limit is two salmon. Beginning Aug. 1, no chum retention.
Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay): Open daily beginning June 20 through June 30, all salmon except coho, and the daily limit is one salmon; release all coho. Open seven days per week from July 1 through Sept. 30, all salmon. Beginning July 1, the daily limit is two salmon. The subarea guideline is 13,110 Chinook (12,600 in 2025), with a subarea quota of 10,700 marked coho (10,370 in 2025). Beginning Aug. 1, no Chinook retention east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line and no chum retention.
Species and size restrictions are dependent on the marine area. WDFW fishery managers will monitor the number of salmon caught in-season and may close areas earlier than scheduled if quotas or guidelines are met. In-season management may be used to sustain season length and keep harvest within the overall Chinook and coho total allowable catch.
Looking Ahead
While this column is focused on June fisheries, those looking ahead to July can look at the Strait of Juan de Fuca Marine Area 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point) and Marine Area 6 (East Strait of Juan de Fuca) west of a true north/south line through the #2 Buoy immediately east of Ediz Hook, which are both planned to open beginning July 1 for hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho. Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) and Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) are planned to open July 16-18 for hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho. Marine Area 10 (Seattle and Bremerton Area) is scheduled to open on July 23-25 for a hatchery Chinook directed fishery and is also open daily for coho through Nov. 15. Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) south of Ayock Point is proposed to open on July 1 for coho and hatchery Chinook.
Each marine area could close sooner for Chinook fishing if specific catch quotas or guidelines are met. Check the WDFW website or the 2026-2027 regulation pamphlet for areas where Chinook must be released or are closed to salmon fishing, and for other specific rules.
(Mark Yuasa is a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Communications Manager and longtime local fishing and outdoor writer. Contributed by Mark Yuasa, WDFW.)
