Following a run upgrade, fishery managers from Oregon and Washington adopted additional fishing days, beginning today, May 12, for recreational spring Chinook salmon in the Columbia River downstream of Bonneville Dam today during a joint state hearing.
This additional opportunity is based on a projected return of 161,800 upriver-origin adult spring Chinook. The updated projection exceeds the preseason forecast of 122,900 adult fish and is slightly higher than the recent 10-year average return of these fish.
The specific season dates, bag limits, and open area for the additional fishing days are:
- Season: May 12 – May 22 and June 4 – June 15.
- Bag limit: Two adult hatchery salmonids (Chinook or steelhead) per day, but only one may be a Chinook; shad may also be retained.
- Open area: Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to Beacon Rock (boat and bank) plus bank angling only from Beacon Rock upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline. The legal upstream boat boundary is defined as: a deadline marker on the Oregon bank (approximately four miles downstream from Bonneville Dam Powerhouse One) in a straight line through the western tip of Pierce Island to a deadline marker on the Washington bank at Beacon Rock.
Columbia River spring Chinook salmon seasons are driven by balancing opportunity with Endangered Species Act limitations, provisions in the management agreement between the states and Columbia River Treaty Tribes that specify the total harvest guideline of upriver-origin spring Chinook and guidance from the Oregon and Washington Fish and Wildlife Commissions regarding the allocation of spring Chinook among the non-treaty fisheries.
Fishery managers scheduled another hearing for 2:00 pm on Wednesday, May 18 to consider the latest information on catch rates and determine if additional fishing days can be added.
For the latest on Columbia River fishing regulations, visit the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s website.
