The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is casting a line to local anglers with some good news: Marine Area 11 is open for extra days of salmon fishing, effective immediately. Fishermen now have until April 15, to try their luck in the quest for the elusive Chinook and other lesser-known salmon species. Note, however, that the daily limit is two salmon, with only one of those allowed to be a Chinook, which needs to meet a minimum size of 22 inches, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The WDFW's tally sheet shows that as of April 7th, we've hit just 69% of the total encounters planned for the season—that's 818 of the whopping 1,191 originally anticipated. This nifty piece of data was netted by the Fish Program, which can be reached at 360-902-2700 for all your fish-related inquiries. Anglers have also been sticking to the rules, reaching 67% of unmarked encounters and only 43% of encounters with sublegal-sized fish. The sea's bounty is aplenty and by granting more days to cast their reels, the agency is ensuring a full-season catch for all you fishing aficionados out there.

However, Commencement Bay (that's east of a line from Cliff House Restaurant to Sperry Ocean Dock) remains a no-fish zone for salmon. As always, fishers need to make sure their licenses are current and on theme with the fishery they're targeting. The WDFW "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet is your go-to guide.