Emergency regulations restricting Chinook fishing have helped put Siletz River fall Chinook on a path toward achieving spawning escapement objectives for the basin.

Effective Saturday, Nov. 10, the section of the Siletz River from the mouth upstream to the ODFW marker located 1,200 feet above the Ojalla Bridge is open to Chinook angling through Dec. 31. ;The river upstream of the ODFW marker will remain closed to Chinook angling per emergency regulations.

The Chinook bag limit for all waterbodies in the NW Zone, including the Siletz River, remains 1 chinook per day and 3 for the season between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31.

“Numbers of spawning fall Chinook have increased over the last week in the Siletz Basin to a point where we are comfortable with reducing the Chinook salmon closure area to provide additional fishing opportunity,” said John Spangler, ODFW Fish Biologist in Newport. “The remaining closure area will continue to provide protection for fish in key spawning areas.”

Counts of adult Chinook in spawning areas continue to lag behind in other coastal basins, so the emergency regulations remain in effect for other NW Zone basins.

“ODFW will continue to monitor fish numbers andlook for opportunities to ease restrictions in other basins if sufficient numbers of Chinook enter key spawning areas,” said Spangler.

See the Northwest Zone Fishing Report in the Recreation Report for the latest information on regulations and opportunities https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/northwest-zone.