Three more all-depth days added to Oregon halibut season
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon fishery managers added three days to the all-depth sport halibut fishery off the central Oregon coast.
Fishing for Pacific halibut will be open Thursday, June 23, through Saturday, June 25, at all depths.
The spring all-depth season for the central coast area – from Cape Falcon (30 miles south of the Columbia River) to Humbug Mountain (south of Port Orford) – opened May 12 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays only.
It could have closed as early as June 11 if the 115,578-pound quota had been taken. The fishery will be open June 23-25 and may continue on one or more of the following days: July 7-9 and 21-23, until the quota is met.
“Following the June 23-25 opening, fishery managers will meet again to determine if there is sufficient quota for any further back-up dates,” said Lynn Mattes, halibut project leader for ODFW.
Open dates will be announced on the National Marine Fisheries Service hotline (1-800-662-9825) and posted on the ODFW Marine Resources Program Web site at: www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/.
The central coast all-depth fishery summer season opens Aug. 5 and is scheduled to be open every other Friday and Saturday until the combined spring and summer season all-depth quota of 158,705 pounds is taken or Oct. 29, whichever comes first.
The high-relief area of Stonewall Bank is closed to halibut fishing to reduce incidental catch of yelloweye rockfish and canary rockfish.
Both species are considered over fished and must be released immediately.
The closed area is defined by latitude and longitude waypoints, which are available on the Marine Resources Program Web site: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/regulations/sport_fishing/stonewall.asp
The daily bag limit is one fish and there is no minimum length for Pacific halibut. The possession limit is one daily limit at sea and three daily limits on land. The annual limit per angler is six fish.
Sport anglers are reminded that possession of groundfish is not allowed north of Humbug Mountain when a Pacific halibut is aboard their vessel, during all-depth Pacific halibut dates.
The exceptions are Pacific cod (true cod, not lingcod) and sablefish (black cod) which may be retained with halibut between Humbug Mountain and Cape Falcon. Other non-groundfish species, such as tuna and salmon during authorized seasons, may be possessed with halibut on open all-depth Pacific halibut days.
More details on regulations can be found at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/halibut/index.asp or in the booklet 2011 Oregon Sport Ocean Regulations for Salmon, Halibut and other Marine Species. General regulations can be found in the 2011 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations booklet.