Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington extended Chinook retention on the mainstem Columbia River for two additional weeks during a joint state hearing on Wednesday.
The decision came after fishery managers assessed harvest in the fall season fisheries and considered the in-season abundance expectations for upriver salmon and steelhead stocks.
With Wednesday’s changes, the following regulations are in effect:
Buoy 10 to west Puget Island: Chinook retention will now remain open in the Buoy 10 fishery through Oct. 13 with a daily adult bag limit of three salmon (Chinook or hatchery coho, only one may be a Chinook). From Oct. 14 – 31, three adult hatchery coho can be retained daily but Chinook must be released.
West Puget Island to the Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco, Wash.: Chinook retention will remain open through Sunday, Oct. 13 with a daily adult bag limit of two salmon (Chinook or coho) but only one may be a Chinook. Hatchery coho only allowed downstream of the Hood River Bridge; all wild coho caught in this area must be released.
All other previously adopted and relevant permanent regulations are in effect including the requirement to use barbless hooks when angling for salmon or steelhead in mainstem Columbia River waters from the mouth upstream to the OR/WA state line.
Visit the Columbia River zone regulation updates page for more details.
Anglers should note that for all of the fisheries listed above, retention of coho (hatchery only downstream of the Hood River Bridge) is expected to be open through the end of the year, as planned pre-season. Hatchery steelhead fishing will also be open on the mainstem downstream of The Dalles Dam from Nov. 1 – Dec. 31.
