The first recreational salmon season in California in three years made such a big splash on its opening weekend that the next three dates have been canceled. More than 9,000 Chinook salmon were taken statewide by 10,505 sport anglers during the season opener on June 7 and 8, exceeding the harvest limit of 7,000 fish for the summer season. As a result, the remaining summer dates on July 5-6, July 31 through Aug. 3 and Aug. 25 through 31 have been closed, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced Monday. The opening weekend offered “some of the best fishing many longtime anglers can remember,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife in a media release. “We’ve seen so many pictures and heard many stories of people enjoying their time on the water with family and friends,” said director Charlton H. Bonham. “By all accounts, the weekend was a huge success.”

Other salmon news: 

• KRON (San Francisco): Over 9,000 Chinook salmon caught during California’s 2-day season
• California Trout: Blog: The Bay Area is swimming with salmon & steelhead!