The rule change is effective through Sept. 4, and applies only for sockeye salmon.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife said the return of Baker Lake sockeye is expected to far surpass escapement goals, making the additional sockeye salmon available for harvest.

All other fishing regulations remain in effect as listed in the 2012/2013 Fishing in Washington sport fishing rules pamphlet. Anglers are reminded to release all bull trout. The two-pole endorsement is allowed for this fishery.

As I’m working on the fishing report for Saturday’s paper, here is some of what I’m hearing.

The saltwater action has been pretty good overall, from the ocean to Port Townsend and even off Tacoma.

Ilwaco/Westport: Anglers out of Ilwaco averaged .98 fish per person last week, the best of the season. Coho made up 62 percent of the catch. At Westport, anglers averaged .82 fish a person, with almost 75 percent of the fish caught being chinook, according to a state report. The weather, including high winds, made fishing tough. People are catching albacore tuna about 40 miles out between Wesport and Ilwaco.

North Sound: The fishing off Port Townsend has been fair to good. Look for salmon feeding just off the bottom in water 75-120 feet deep. Coho Killers were effective as the salmon are feeding on candlefish. Try Mid Channel Bank, Point No Point or Possession Bar.

Tacoma: The fishing has been off and on from day to day, but some chinook weighing up to 25 pounds are being caught, said Tom Pollack at Sportco. Some people are pulling plugs, while other are using Point Wilson Darts. Crabbing has been slow to fair with anglers having to weed out a lot of females to to get keeper males.

Skykomish: The fishing is as good as it has been in recent years, with people cathcing plenty of chinook and steelhead. Sidedrifting eggs seems to be the best method. Be sure to get your bait into the soft edges and seams, said Todd Daniels of Tall Tails Guide Service.

Baker: The sockeye fishing has been OK, but no one is catching limits yet, said Mike Chamberlain at Ted’s Sports Center. He said people are finding the fish mid lake this season. Most people are catching 1-4 fish per boat.
Mineral: The fishing has been very good, with plenty of limits being caught, said Doreen Douglas at Mineral Lake Resort. People are catching brown trout weighing 1-2 ½ pounds using Power Eggs, marshmallows and/or worms. The dock fishing has been a little slower.

From Saturday until further notice, anglers can keep up to three adult sockeye salmon that exceed 18 inches in length from the log boom barrier at Baker Dam upstream to the mouth of the upper Baker River. All other salmon, as well as bull trout, must be released.

Brett Barkdull, a fish biologist, said this year’s return is expected to meet spawning production goals. As of today, 8,285 sockeye had returned to hatchery facilities at Baker Lake.

“About 3,600 of those sockeye salmon have been released into Baker Lake,” said Barkdull. “We expect that number to continue to increase as we approach Saturday’s opener.”

Anglers are reminded the Baker and Skagit rivers remain closed to salmon fishing.

For more information on the Baker Lake sockeye fishery, check the fishing rule change by clicking here.

Additional information on Baker Lake sockeye is available on the department’s website.

From Thursday until further notice, anglers can retain up to two adult sockeye salmon that exceed 18 inches in length from Baker Dam upstream to the mouth of the Baker River.

All other salmon must be released, and no fishing will be allowed between the dam and the log boom at the lower end of the lake.

More than 10,000 sockeye have returned to hatchery facilities and artificial spawning beaches on the lake, exceeding this year’s 6,300-fish escapement goal, Brett Barkdull, fish biologist, said in a state Department of Fish and Wildlife news release.

“People have been waiting a long time to be able to fish for sockeye salmon in Baker Lake,” Barkdull said in the release. “This year’s run isn’t huge by historical standards, but we’ve exceeded our goals for both hatchery-reared sockeye and naturally spawning fish needed for production.”

Harvest opportunities for returning fish will be shared by recreational and tribal fisheries, he said.

Barkdull said improving ocean conditions have helped to boost survival rates for young sockeye returning to the watershed. Meanwhile, the installation of a juvenile-collection facility at the upper Baker Dam has improved the transfer of out-migrating smolts downstream to Puget Sound, he said.

But the biggest boon to area sockeye fishing may be the completion of a new hatchery facility on Baker Lake, Barkdull said in the release. Starting next year, smolt production in the watershed is expected to increase significantly at the new facility built by Puget Sound Energy as part of a 2008 hydroelectric licensing agreement.

“We hope to eventually produce enough sockeye fry to bring 75,000 adult fish back to the watershed,” Barkdull said. “We’ve been working toward that goal for a long time and we know what it would mean for sockeye fishing in the watershed.”

Anglers also can catch sockeye salmon on the Baker and Skagit rivers today through Sunday under rules announced earlier this week by WDFW.

The Baker River open to sockeye fishing from the mouth to the state Route 20 bridge. The Skagit River is open from the Dalles Bridge at Concrete to a point 200 feet above the east bank of the Baker River.

The daily limit in those areas is two sockeye salmon. The anti-snagging rule and night closure are in effect in both areas.