Marine Area 7 Chinook and Summer Crabbing Season Opens

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Thousands of Northwest Washington anglers will hit the salt Thursday as several popular Puget Sound salmon fisheries open, giving fishermen another opportunity to fill the cooler amid limited salmon fishing fisheries across the state.

Reports from Marine Area 9 on Thursday morning suggested the action lived up to the anticipation, with some anglers reportedly limiting on hatchery Chinook in less than 30 minutes. If those early reports continue, many local fishermen may decide to trade freshwater for the salt while the brief opener lasts.

“As Baker Lake crowds have tangled lines, clogged the launches and catches have slowed considerably this week, many anglers have been looking forward to the opportunity to put crab on the table. This weekend, it’s go time.”

– Brian Henderson, PNW DAILY

Three-Day Hatchery Chinook Season Begins

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife opened Marine Areas 7 and 9 to hatchery Chinook fishing Thursday through Saturday, July 16-18.

For anglers in Whatcom County, Marine Area 7 offers one of the closest saltwater salmon opportunities of the summer. The area carries a harvest quota of 2,181 hatchery Chinook, along with an allowable encounter quota of 3,672 unclipped fish and 2,429 sublegal encounters.

Marine Area 9 also opened Thursday with a harvest quota of 2,650 hatchery Chinook.

Whether those fisheries remain open beyond Saturday depends entirely on how quickly anglers catch the available quota.

Other marine areas already open for salmon include Marine Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12 and 13. Species restrictions and retention rules vary by location, so anglers should review current regulations before launching.

Crabbing Season Also Opens

Thursday also marks the beginning of the summer recreational crabbing season in Marine Area 7 South, which includes waters around Bellingham and the San Juan Islands.

The fishery operates Thursdays through Mondays each week throughout the summer season under WDFW regulations.

For many families, the combination of salmon and Dungeness crab makes one of the year’s most anticipated outdoor weekends.

In anticipation of this, Yeager’s Sporting Goods has loaded the fishing department with new crabbing gear. There are casting options with rods specifically designed to cast crab snares. Yeager’s also has added numerous high-quality bottom crab gear for those with boats and headed out to the salt, making a quick soak while king fishing very productive opening weekend.

Baker Lake Run Falls Behind Last Year

The saltwater opener comes as Baker Lake sockeye anglers continue waiting for stronger fishing.

Daily trap counts climbed steadily through early July before slowing significantly this week.

Biologists counted just 476 sockeye Wednesday after recording 896 on Tuesday and 1,514 Monday. The cumulative return now stands at 17,793 fish.

That remains well below the pace many anglers experienced during last year’s exceptional return.

The current run has produced respectable numbers, but it has not matched the explosive surge many fishermen hoped to see after last season’s record-level fishing.

The slowdown has also shown up on the water.

Many anglers have reported difficult fishing during the past several days despite consistent effort. While fish continue entering the Baker system, catch rates have remained inconsistent compared to the fast action many expected heading into the season.

The long-term average run typically peaks in mid-July before tapering through the end of the month. Current counts suggest this year’s return is tracking below the optimistic predictions for the 2026 run, although additional fish are still expected.

According to the data, the run is currently tracking toward roughly around 55,000 sockeye, well below the preseason forecast of 70,861 fish.

Skagit River Sockeye Fishery Reopens

After several temporary closures to accommodate treaty fisheries, much of the lower Skagit River reopened to recreational sockeye fishing Thursday morning.

From Gilligan Creek upstream to the Dalles Bridge, anglers may once again retain up to four sockeye salmon measuring at least 12 inches through July 31.

The section from the Memorial Highway Bridge in Mount Vernon to Gilligan Creek also remains open under the same four-sockeye daily limit.

The upper section between the Dalles Bridge and the Baker River remains closed.

WDFW said the temporary closures help prevent conflicts with treaty fisheries and reminded anglers that interference with tribal fishing operations could result in additional closures.

Check Rules Before You Go

Because quota fisheries can change quickly, WDFW encourages anglers to review emergency fishing rules before leaving home.

The department also recommends signing up for fishing rule change notifications, especially during the busy summer salmon season when openings can expand or close with little notice based on catch rates.

For Northwest Washington anglers, the next three days may offer the best chance yet this summer to bring home fresh salmon while Baker Lake continues to build toward its seasonal peak.

Brought to You By Yeager’s Sporting Goods

Whether you’re trolling the San Juans, jigging in Marine Area 9, or chasing sockeye at Baker Lake, Yeager’s Sporting Goods has the rods, tackle, bait, downriggers, crab gear and local expertise to help you make the most of every trip. Stop by before you launch and let their experienced staff get you dialed in for current conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions