08_2025_REELLIFE_DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 11
fishing
A barrage of pink salmon
are now beelining into
Puget Sound, and the
next couple of months
should provide ample
opportunities in many
marine and freshwater
areas.
or the Washington Sport
Fishing Rules pamphlet at
https://www.eregulations.
com/washington/fishing/
for specific dates of when
the two-bonus pink salmon
daily limit applies to each
marine area.
The hype about an
expected Puget Sound
pink salmon forecast of
nearly 7.8 million — up
70% from the 10-year cycle
average — began when the
Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
unveiled the 2025 salmon
forecasts on Feb. 28.
RECOGNIZING A PINK
VERSUS A CHINOOK
If the prediction pans out,
it will be the third-largest
total return on record, up
from a 2023 forecast of 3.95
million and an actual return
of 7.22 million. In southern
British Columbia, the Fraser
River pink salmon forecast
is an epic 27 million and will
contribute to fisheries in
northern marine areas like
the San Juan Islands.
The Stillaguamish River,
pink forecast of 117,322 is
a low forecast compared
to past years and won’t
allow for pink fishing
opportunities in Marine
Area 8-2 (Port Susan and
Port Gardner) and the river
itself.
There will be a two-bonus
pink salmon daily limit for
Marine Areas 5, 6, 7, 8–1,
9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 during
the August to September
timeframe. Opening and
closure dates vary for
each area. Refer to the
WDFW fishing regulations
webpage at https://wdfw.
wa.gov/fishing/regulations
It is vital for anglers to be
able to know the difference
between a pink and a
young Chinook. Especially
when fishing in marine
areas.
A pink has very large black
spots on the caudal fin
and back, and heavy ovalshaped black splotches on
the upper and lower lobes
of the tail. They also have a
white mouth, a few teeth (if
any), with a black gum line
and tongue. Their scales
are very small with no silver
pigment on the tail.
Their nickname “humpies”
or “humpy” comes from the
dramatic
