The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in consultation with the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), the State of Oregon, the State of California, and advisory body members met today, March 9, 2026, and have taken the following in-season management actions related to the scheduled March and April commercial troll Chinook salmon openings off Oregon:
ACTIONS TAKEN:
- Effective March 15, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., the commercial salmon troll fishery in the area between Cape Falcon, OR, and Humbug Mountain, OR, is closed through Monday April 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
- Effective March 15, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., the commercial salmon troll fishery in the area between Humbug Mountain and the Oregon/California border is closed through April 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
RATIONALE:
Consistent with the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s process for developing three viable 2026 season alternatives in March, the start dates for both fisheries will be delayed. ODFW is considering all available stock abundance forecast information holistically and this action makes the best use of available impacts to stocks of concern, while optimizing fishing opportunity for the troll fleet.
The closures in the early commercial troll fisheries off Oregon are due to forecast impacts on California Chinook salmon stocks. Those high impacts were of concern for the ability to develop seasons for the remainder of 2026. Seasons from May 16, 2026 through May 15, 2027 are currently being developed. Any season adjustments prior to May 16, 2026 will be addressed through further in-season action.
Season alternatives for the remainder of 2026 will be reviewed and a final season recommendation made at the April Pacific Fishery Management Council public meeting in Portland, OR from April 7-12, 2026. Interested members of the public should visit www.pcouncil.org for information on how to participate in the April meeting.
Visit https://dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/ for more information on Oregon’s ocean salmon seasons and fisheries.