Puget Sound MA 8-2 and 9: salmon daily limit drops to one starting today

The salmon bag in two Puget Sound marine areas is one fish a day as of this morning. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, via a FishingWA republish of the Sept. 18, 2026 fishing-rule change, reduced the recreational salmon daily limit to one — no minimum size, Chinook and chum released — in Marine Area 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner), except the Tulalip Terminal Area, for Sept. 21–25, 2026, and in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) for Sept. 21–30, 2026.

Managers said recreational coho catches in 8-2 and 9 have far exceeded preseason expectations. Extreme terminal and freshwater areas of 8-2 are not showing matching high-abundance signals, and low water may be changing how returning coho move. The cut is a precautionary move so Stillaguamish and Snohomish coho conservation objectives can still be met.

Fish Program contact is 360-902-2700. Sign up for Fishing Rule Change emails, use the Fish Washington app, and check the live WDFW emergency-rules list before you launch — this is an in-season change, not the pamphlet as printed.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: FishingWA — Puget Sound marine areas 8-2 and 9 salmon fishing update (Sept. 18, 2026). Verify live rules: WDFW emergency rules.