Three Wild Coho Fisheries to Open on Oregon Coast

The three fisheries re:

Siletz River, mainstem open from the mouth to Old Mill Park boat launch (RM 36)
Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 or until a quota of 400 fish has been caught.
One adult wild coho per day and one for the season.

Coquille River, mainstem open from the mouth to the Hwy 42S bridge (RM 25)
Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 or until a quota of 1, 200 fish has been caught.
One adult wild coho per day and five for the season.

Tenmile Lakes, North and South lakes open; closed downstream of Hilltop Bridge. Also closed is the canal between lakes and all tributaries.
Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 or until a quota of 500 fish has been caught.
One adult wild coho per day and five for the season.

The daily and seasonal bag limits for each individual lake or river are in aggregate with all wild coho fisheries in the Northwest and Southwest zones, including the long-standing coho fisheries in Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes. Anglers also may keep one wild jack coho salmon as part of the daily bag limit on the three fisheries. Jacks are coho salmon between 15 and 20-inches long.

In addition, on Tenmile, Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes anglers may fish only one rod when the wild coho fishery is open.

Even though wild coho along the Oregon coast are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act, fisheries biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife feel conditions have improved enough that monitored, conservative harvest by sport anglers will not negatively affect the populations in these five basins.