Lemme add to what Salmo g has outlined.

The habitat in the Naselle Rv may not be great, but for whatever reason, it produces tremendous numbers of wild coho and chum salmon. In the recent past, I could keep three wild coho per day from the Naselle. There aren’t many rivers in Washington State where recreational anglers can keep a daily bag limit of three wild coho. This year, it was only two, before WDFW closed it entirely.

This is significant, particularly for coho. If the Naselle can produce coho, it should be able to produce ocean-type Chinook, since they don’t spend much time in the river. Chinook eggs get deposited in October, and the juveniles are gone by mid to late spring. They don't spend the summer in the river. But juvenile coho will spend 18 months in the same river! So if juvenile coho can survive the Naselle, juvenile Chinook should too.

So I agree with his optimism for Chinook production in the Naselle, but at the same time I’m a little confused as to why the river doesn’t already produce lots of wild Chinook. The influence of the hatchery and the high harvest rate might be contributing factors. My sense is that if WDFW eliminated Chinook production at the hatchery, and stopped commercial fishing, the numbers of wild Chinook on the Naselle would be something close to the production of wild coho.

We might even be able to keep three wild Chinook on the Naselle!

Wouldn’t that be nice…….