Oregon Officials Open Wild Coho Fisheries on Coast, Buoy 10 Closes

Published 08/31/2010

(Oregon Coast) – Oregon wildlife officials have come up with a forecast for fish numbers that will allow anglers to snag wild Coho in three fisheries on the Oregon coast, one beginning September 1 and another to begin October 1.

On the Siletz River, the mainstem will be open from the mouth to Old Mill Park boat launch ( at RM 36). Coho fishing will be allowed September 1 to November 30, or until a quota of 400 fish has been caught. The limit is one adult wild Coho per day, and one for the season.

On the Coquille River on the southern Oregon coast, fishing is open from the mouth to the Hwy 42S bridge (RM 25), from  September 1 to November 30 or until a quota of 1, 200 fish has been caught. The limit is one adult wild Coho per day and five total for the entire season.

At Tenmile Lakes, the North and South lakes are open. Fishing is closed downstream of Hilltop Bridge, and at the canal between lakes and all tributaries. The season here begins October 1 and run until December 31, or until a quota of 500 fish has been reached. The limit is one adult wild Coho per day and five for the season.

“The daily and seasonal bag limits for each individual lake or river are in aggregate with all wild coho fisheries in the Northwest and Southwest zones, including the long-standing coho fisheries in Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes,” said the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in a press release.

The public can also keep one wild Jack Coho salmon in the daily limit at each of the three fisheries. Jacks are Coho salmon between 15 and 20-inches long.

Additional rules apply at Tenmile, Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes: anglers may fish only one rod when the wild coho fishery is open.

Fishery biologists for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife say they feel conditions have satisfactorily improved for the wild Coho salmon to allow this kind of fishing, even though the species is listed as threatened under federal law along the Oregon coast. Biologists maintain that a well monitored, conservative harvest by sport anglers will not greatly affect their populations and numbers in these areas.

Meanwhile, along the famed Buoy 10 area at the mouth of the Columbia River – near Astoria – ODFW officials announced harvesting of Chinook salmon will not be extended beyond the usual August 31 closure.

It will remain open until December 31 for hatchery coho salmon and hatchery steelhead.

Oregon and Washington fishery officials both agreed on the closure.

The relatively slow catch of chinook in recent weeks had fueled speculation that the chinook fishery might be extended. ODFW reports that as of August 30, sport anglers have caught approximately half of the expected chinook quota.

Although the total chinook catch was well below expectations, the allowable catch of wild tule chinook, which are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, has already been exceeded.  Given that, extending the chinook fishery at Buoy 10 may have resulted in less recreational fishing upstream of Tongue Point.

For more rules and laws on fishing in Oregon, including licenses, see www.dfw.state.or.us

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