NEWPORT, Ore. – The Pacific halibut sport seasons and regulations were adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission last Friday. Seasons are as follows:

Columbia River Subarea (Leadbetter Pt., WA to Cape Falcon, OR):

• Nearshore season: open Mondays through Wednesdays inside the 40-fathom line May 5 – Sept. 30 or until the 500-pound quota is caught.
• All-depth season: open every Thursday, Friday, and Sunday May 1- June 29 or until the 18,587- pound quota is reached. Back-up dates if quota is not caught are Mondays and Tuesdays, June 1-29.
• Daily bag limit one Pacific halibut, annual limit six.

Central Oregon Coast Subarea (Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt.)

• Nearshore season: opens daily beginning May 1 inside the 40-fathom line through Oct. 31 or when the 10,000-pound quota is caught.
• All-depth season: the combined quota for the spring and summer fisheries is 277,074 pounds.
  • Spring: opens daily May 1 through July 31 with a 207,768-pound quota.
  • Summer: opens daily Aug. 1 through Oct. 31 or until the 59,256-pound quota is reached.
• Daily bag limit two Pacific halibut, annual limit six.

Southern Oregon Subarea

• Open daily beginning May 1 through Oct. 31 or until the 8,000-pound quota is reached.
• Daily bag limit two Pacific halibut, annual limit six.

Review an online map for more information and Pacific halibut regulations.

A few important regulation reminders:

• Pacific halibut anglers must have a descending device on board the vessel. The device must be used to release any rockfish species when fishing outside of 40 fathoms. It is easy and cost-effective to make your own descending device.
• During all-depth halibut days, longleader gear fishing or the traditional general marine bottomfish fishery (lingcod and black rockfish) may be combined with halibut . The longleader fishery and traditional bottomfish fishery cannot be combined on the same trip.