Monday, April 25, 2022

NEWPORT, Ore – The 2022 Pacific halibut sport seasons and regulations were recently adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission:

• Columbia River Subareas (Leadbetter Pt., WA to Cape Falcon, OR):
  • Nearshore season: Open Mondays through Wednesdays beginning May 9 inside the 40-fathom line until the 500-pound quota is met or through Sept. 30.
  • All-depth season: Open every Thursday and Sunday, May 5-26. If the 18,537-pound quota is not met, the fishery will open every Thursday and Sunday, June 2-30. If quota remains, ODFW will coordinate with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to determine additional openings.

• Central Coast Subarea (Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain):
  • Nearshore season: Open daily beginning May 1 inside the 40-fathom line until the quota (32,808 pounds) is met or through Oct. 31.
  • Spring all-depth season: Open daily May 12 – June 30. If any of the 169,963 quota remains, back-up dates are July 7-9 and July 21-23. Previously, this fishery was open Thursdays through Sundays only; this year's daily schedule gives anglers more opportunity to harvest a halibut.
  • Summer all-depth season: Open Aug. 4-6 and every other Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until the 67,445-pound quota is met or Oct. 31

• Southern Oregon Subarea (Humbug Mountain to OR/CA border): Open daily beginning May 1 until the 8,000-pound quota is met or through Oct. 31.

For a map of the subareas, click here.

Pacific halibut regulations: https://myodfw.com/pacific-halibut-sport-regulations

• Pacific halibut anglers must have a descending device onboard the vessel and use it to release any rockfish species when fishing 30 fathoms or deeper.

• Anglers must immediately tag their harvested fish.

• Anglers can keep one Pacific halibut daily, six per year.

• The Stonewall Bank Yelloweye Rockfish Conservation Area (YRCA) located in the Central Coast Subarea is closed to Pacific halibut fishing.

• Anglers on vessels possessing Pacific halibut or bottomfish are prohibited from fishing in the Stonewall Bank YRCA even when targeting legal species (salmon and tuna).

Reminder: important permanent regulations as of 2021:

• During May, June, September, and October:
  • Bottomfish may be combined with all-depth Pacific halibut on days open to all-depth halibut.
  • Longleader gear fishing cannot be combined with all-depth halibut fishing.
• During July and August:
  • Only sablefish, Pacific cod and other flatfish species (no other bottomfish species) can be combined with all-depth halibut except for longleader fishing as noted below.
  • The trip can be combined with offshore longleader fishing provided:
    • Longleader fishing must take place outside of 40 fathoms
    • Once rockfish are on board, no further halibut fishing is allowed.

See Pacific halibut sport regulations for more information.

Check Offshore Longleader Fishery fact sheet for more information.

See tip sheet on when and where longleader and all-depth halibut can be combined.

Learn more about the 2021 Pacific halibut season.