The latest from Barb at Region 6 on the Willapa fisherries.


Hello Everyone,

If you have any questions or comments regarding any of the information provided through these emails for the 2025 salmon season, please reply to this email and/or contact Barbara McClellan at #360-249-1213.

Hatchery Chinook Rack Returns
See attachment: 2025 Naselle Hatchery Adult CHK Summary 10.24.2025.xlsx AND 2025 WB Hatchery Broodstock Data Draft 10.24.2025.pdf

Naselle River Hatch
To-date, a total of 12,663 adult and 487 jack Chinook salmon have volunteered into the attraction channel and recruited into the hatchery. Of these, 853 natural origin (NOR) Chinook salmon have been planted upstream above the hatchery. A total of 2,200 Chinook mortalities have been reported to-date, and there are no Chinook on-hand in the hatchery.

There have been 1,866 female Chinook spawned, and 5,598,000 Chinook eggs collected at the facility to-date.
The Naselle Hatchery has now met it’s Chinook goal for 2025.

Nemah River Hatchery
To-date, a total of 7,750 adult and 100 jack Chinook salmon have recruited into the hatchery. Of these, 428 NOR Chinook salmon were planted upstream above the hatchery. A total of 3,184 Chinook mortalities have been reported, and there are approximately 3 Chinook on-hand in the facility.

There have been 1,233 female Chinook spawned, and 3,699,000 Chinook eggs collected at the facility to-date.
The Nemah Hatchery has now met it’s Chinook broodstock goal for 2025.

Forks Creek Hatchery
To-date, a total of 2,268 adult and 34 jack Chinook salmon have recruited into the facility. Of these, A335 NOR Chinook salmon were planted upstream above the hatchery. A total of 159 Chinook mortalities have been reported, and there are approximately 48 Chinook on-hard in the facility. Forks Creek has already spawned 80 females and collected 240,000 eggs, or 54.5% of the total Chinook broodstock needed.

Commercial Fishery
The commercial fishery has been open in all commercial fishing areas since Sept 14, 2025, with each commercial area having a different number of days scheduled for each week.

There has been a total of 4,490 hatchery Chinook salmon, 41,073 coho, and 47,480 Chum landed through week 43 (October 23).

The Department modified the commercial fishery on October 23rd via emergency regulation opening areas 2N, 2M and 2R for salmon commercial fishing. Additional time was being offered to these areas because the coho in-season update model is estimating higher natural and hatchery coho returns than expected preseason. Area 2T and 2U remained closed on October 23, 2025.

The Department continues to actively monitor the commercial fishery and analyzes data as it comes in.

There is a lot of rain and wind predicted over the next several days, which will affect salmon movement and whether we are able to conduct spawner surveys next week as flows rise.


As always, in-season data is preliminary and subject to change.
All data provided through these weekly email updates for the months of August and September will be posted to the Willapa Bay Marine Area 2.1 Recreational Creel Monitoring page of our website listed below.

If you have any comments or questions specific to the information provided in these emails, please submit your comments to WillapaBay@dfw.wa.gov.

Additionally, if you know of anyone who might be interested in receiving these in-season update emails or any other information staff send out regarding Willapa Bay, please forward this email and have them reply to WillapaBay@dfw.wa.gov stating they would like to be added to our email distribution list.

Thank you and Fish On! ><((((*>
Barbara McClellan


Online reference links you may be interested in:

Willapa Bay Marine Area 2.1 Recreational Creel Monitoring:
Willapa Bay Recreational Salmon Reports | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor (non-treaty) Commercial Salmon Fisheries (Regulations and landed catch):
Commercial Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor Gillnet Salmon Fishery | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

Ocean Sampling Program for Ocean Areas 1- 4: Ocean sport salmon quota report | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife