Anglers in Marine Area 11 are getting a little bit luckier this June, as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has just given the green light to daily salmon fishing through the end of the month. Starting today, fishermen can reel in not one, but two hatchery Chinook salmon. With catch estimates through June 15 showing only a fraction of the quotas being met, it appears there's more than enough fish in the sea – or in this case, Puget Sound – for a bit of an uptick in fishing activities. WDFW reports that the hatchery Chinook quota is sitting at 30%, with just 13% for unmarked wild fish encounters, and a meager 2% for encounters with sublegal fish.

This departure from the originally planned Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule was sparked by slower-than-anticipated catch rates. Despite this, or maybe because of it, avid fishers can expect a daily limit of two salmon, and those scratching their heads over the regulations should take note: Chum and wild Chinook are catch-and-release only. And just so we’re clear, when WDFW says "aboard a vessel" they mean inside the gunwale – keep those illegal catches out of your boats, folks.

The decision has certainly cast a line into the past, with the WDFW's Puget Sound Salmon Manager, Christina Iverson, remarking, "Monitoring data collected to date indicates that we are in a position to add additional opportunity not originally planned for pre-season fishing. It is exciting, and reminiscent of historic June fisheries we’ve seen in past years where anglers are not encountering a lot of juvenile fish." This comes as a bit of a nostalgic nod to older, more bountiful June fishing seasons.

Looking forward, Marine Area 11 will see its waters churn again with fishing lines from July 18-20, and maybe later in the month, depending on how the initial three-day opener goes. With 3,379 hatchery-marked Chinook and 5,907 fish earmarked for sublegal encounters in the quota, there could be more opportunities for anglishers come late July, with WDFW planning to reassess after the first few days.

It’s not just Marine Area 11 getting all the action. Other marine areas are also open for business, and those interested should definitely check out the WDFW webpage or snag a copy of the 2024-25 WDFW regulation pamphlet (PDF). If keeping up-to-date this summer and fall is your thing, hit up the WDFW’s “The Salmon Fishing Current” blog for the latest in-season management updates. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is all about preserving and enjoying the state’s fish and wildlife, after all, with a nod to keeping the pastime both recreational and sustainable.