Commercial gillnet fishermen in Washington’s Willapa Bay landed nearly 143,000 chum salmon this fall, marking the fishery’s strongest harvest in at least five years despite an early closure prompted by concerns over coho salmon returns.
According to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) figures reported by the Chinook Observer, commercial fishermen harvested 142,951 chum salmon during the 2026 season, up from 88,212 in 2025 and 65,057 in 2024. The total marks the third consecutive year of increasing commercial chum landings in Willapa Bay.
Most of this year’s harvest came during a two-week stretch in October. Between Oct. 11 and Oct. 24, fishermen landed 128,195 chum, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the season’s total catch…