The recreational salmon fishing seasons off the coast will be limited for chinook, but it could be a more rosy picture for coho this summer.

"All the options for coho in the ocean are higher than last year, but much lower for chinook," said Pat Pattillo, a state Fish and Wildlife salmon policy coordinator.

The reason for an increase in the coho quota catches is due to a predicted large return of Columbia River hatchery coho and a relaxation in the federal Endangered Species Act [ESA] harvest rate.

The Columbia River and Oregon coastal forecast for coho is 849,200 fish compared with an actual return of 557,100 last year [460,200 was forecast].

The reductions for the chinook catches are related to a low abundance of Lower Columbia hatchery and wild chinook, plus a change in the ESA maximum chinook fishery harvest total of 42 percent compared with 49 percent last year.

The forecast for all Columbia River chinook is about 337,000 fish, down nearly 128,000 from last year.

At a meeting this past week in Sacramento, Calif., the Pacific Fishery Management Council considered three catch options for the sports fisheries. The low sport fishing option would be 11,200 chinook and 67,200 coho; the middle is 16,250 chinook and 100,800 coho; and the high is 17,875 chinook and 117,600 coho.

The total season adopted last year was 31,000 chinook and 73,200 hatchery coho.

"July 1 would be the earliest starting date for any of the coastal ports," Pattillo said. "With these kinds of quotas the closing date would vary from about mid-September or later depending on the port. Fishing seasons could also close sooner of any of the ports reach their catch quota before the closing dates.

"Also being considered for the coast in discussions is keeping ports open seven days per week, instead of five days. But some are saying it is better to start off with a more conservative approach than having it close sooner than they want it to."

Final seasons will be adopted in April.

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com