OUTDOORS: King limit dips to one in Marine Area 6

Published 1:30 am Thursday, August 6, 2026

MARINE AREA 6 (Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) anglers will be able to fish hatchery chinook all the way through the final planned king date of the season, Aug. 15.

They’ll just be fishing on a reduced hatchery king limit beginning today after the state Department of Fish and Wildlife trimmed the chinook portion of the daily salmon limit to one fish.

Anglers can now keep one hatchery chinook of a minimum 22 inches in length. Other salmon species have no minimum size.

The daily limit is two, including no more than one Chinook. Anglers must release chum, sockeye, wild coho and wild Chinook.

Fish and Wildlife, in consultation with Puget Sound sport fishing advisors, determined this reduction in bag limit for hatchery chinook is necessary in an effort to avoid an early closure of the chinook retention season.

No campfires allowed

Beginning today, all campfires are prohibited within Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest. Propane and gas stoves are allowed, if operated at least three feet away from flammable vegetation and forest litter.

The Sourdough Fire is burning 0.75 acres on a steep, forested slope on the north side of Olympic National Park. A Type 1 K-Max helicopter and eight rappelers are currently working to contain the fire. The Aurora Ridge Trail, North Fork Sol Duc Trail, and Eagle Lakes and Aurora Springs backcountry campsites are closed. There are no evacuation orders in place.

The fire is burning on the southern slope of Sourdough Mountain, approximately 0.5 miles below the Aurora Ridge Trail. Fire behavior remains minimal, with crews observing creeping, backing, and smoldering in ground vegetation and duff. Crews are currently working to determine the cause of the fire.

Hunting rules

The public can attend a series of informational virtual meetings about potential state hunting rule proposals. These rule change considerations are part of Fish and Wildlife’s latest three-year season setting effort – a robust rule making process where the Department considers changes to hunting seasons or rules.

The department will host three meetings each focused on specific hunting topics. The public is encouraged to attend some or all of the meetings depending on their personal area(s) of interest.

Meeting schedule

Each meeting takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. online via Zoom.

•Tuesday: Ungulates (deer, elk, moose)

Meeting ID: 831 3013 3384

Passcode: 189749

•Wednesday: Waterfowl

Meeting ID: 850 6133 4781

Passcode: 825046

•Aug. 17: Turkey, small game, upland birds, carnivores, furbearers

Meeting ID: 857 2754 6773.