Did you see all those boats off Point Defiance on Thursday? Here’s what they were doing
Pierce County anglers set out early Thursday morning off the coast of Point Defiance to embrace the first day of Washington’s salmon fishing season.
Marine Area 11, which spans the waters off the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to the north tip of Vashon Island, officially opened for summer hatchery-marked salmon June 1. In particular, anglers are hitting the waters to draw in chinook salmon, the largest species of Pacific salmon. The fish can grow to as large as 100 pounds, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Fishing spots are available at various locations in the south Puget Sound region, including Point Defiance. The Tacoma-Vashon marine fishing area is particularly popular for anglers, says Chase Gunnell, communications manager with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Each year’s fishing season length varies. The June 2022 season was brief because the catch quota, 580, was met after only three days, Gunnell said. This year, the June quota is a much-higher 1,423.
Anglers can only fish Thursday through Sunday during the season, according to WDFW guidelines. Fishers have a daily limit of two salmon, and they may only retain one chinook. The minimum size of chinook they may keep is 22 inches, but other salmon species have no size limits.
It remains to be seen how long June’s season will last this year, as dozens of anglers lined up early Thursday, boats and fishing rods at the ready. Several boaters were on the water before Cecil Goodson, supervisor of the Point Defiance Marina Complex, had even arrived at the boat launch at 4 a.m. to help direct boaters.
Around 25 trucks and trailers were waiting to head out by 5:30 a.m., Goodson told The News Tribune. A steady stream of boaters continued hauling into the boat launch entrance through the early morning hours.
“It’s a mad dash, for sure,” Goodson told The News Tribune.
The public boat launch is accessible anytime the gates are open, Goodson said. However, boats can embark onto the water at the Metro Parks Boathouse from 4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the summer months, Goodson said.
Once the 1,423 quota is met, the June season ends. But that doesn’t mean summer salmon fishing is done altogether. If Marine Area 11 shuts down, anglers can search for chinook in Marine Area 13, south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge near spots like Gibson Point and Point Fosdick, Gunnell says.
