OUTDOORS: King season similar to 2025, salt water coho fishing could be constrained by river returns

Published 1:30 am Friday, March 20, 2026

A CHINOOK SEASON similar to 2025, with a coho fishery that could be limited in Puget Sound’s Marine Areas and on the Quilcene River, were the big takeaways from Wednesday’s first state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s North of Falcon season-setting meeting.

North of Falcon is the annual series of public and state/tribal government-to-government meetings that eventually reaches agreement for the upcoming year’s salmon fishing season.

The meeting presentation included the 2026 salmon forecasts/abundances, an initial discussion on the 2026–2027 fishing season package that could resemble the 2025–2026 season and public input.

Here are the 2026 Puget Sound recreational considerations/expectations:

• Expectations for 2026–2027 marine area recreational Chinook fisheries should be similar to 2025. Wild chinook stocks most likely to be limiting are the Stillaguamish, Snohomish, and Nooksack (spring stock) rivers.

• The Quilcene River on Hood Canal is undergoing a major habitat restoration in-river project and will likely affect accessibility to fishing areas for coho in late summer and fall in 2026.

· Wild coho stocks for some Puget Sound rivers could limit marine area recreational fisheries. The Skagit River wild coho forecast is up significantly.

• Many rivers in 2026–2027 should experience similar salmon fishing opportunities to 2025.

A lack of snowpack, low flows, and warm temperatures may affect some freshwater opportunities. Continued poor stocks of summer and fall chinook could affect fishing season outcomes for the Snohomish/Skykomish rivers.

Expansions or changes to fisheries can be considered during the NOF process but may affect opportunities in other areas. The likelihood of implementing any new marine or freshwater fisheries could be a challenge given the low abundances of several Puget Sound wild Chinook and coho stocks.

The second public North of Falcon meeting is Tuesday, March 31, 9 a.m., at the Lynnwood Embassy Suites, 20610 44th Avenue West, Lynnwood.

Washington, Oregon, and California salmon fishing seasons are expected to be finalized during the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meetings April 7-12 in Portland.

Big license change

Beginning July 8, Fish and Wildlife will no longer provide hunting and fishing licenses or other license products on waterproof, tear-resistant license paper and is encouraging the use of mobile licensing. The agency cited difficulties in sourcing durable paper as the main reason for the change.

New mobile licensing features are now available through the agency’s new MyWDFW mobile application, which launched in December 2025, or the updated Fish Washington app.

Customers who prefer paper license products, including catch record cards, have the option to remain paper license holders, but their licenses will look different than in the past. After July 8, WDFW license dealers and WDFW offices can print customers’ license products on standard 8.5-inch by 11-inch copy paper. Paper license customers can also print their license products at home.

For more information, visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/fishing.