ILWACO — Ocean salmon catches off the coast of southern Washington and northern Oregon continue to decline, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reported today.
The state estimates there were 1,694 anglers between Cape Falcon, Ore., and Leadbetter Point, Wash., last week with a catch of 334 chinook and 243 coho.
That’s a catch average of 0.34 salmon per rod, down from 0.65 the week before, 1.05 two weeks ago and 1.26 for the first week of July.
Anglers had taken 28.4 percent of the coho quota through Sunday.
Coho retention off northern Oregon and Washington is limited to the area between Cape Falcon and Leadbetter Point. North of Leadbetter Point, only chinook retention is allowed.
Poor coho runs are anticipated to coastal and Puget Sound streams in Washington, with a mediocre coho run to the Columbia River.
