Anglers will get another three days of Chinook salmon fishing starting Friday, under rules adopted today during a joint state hearing of fish and wildlife officials from Oregon and Washington.
The season opens on Friday, May 20 and continues through Sunday, May 22.
The open area is from Tongue Point approximately 19 miles upstream from the river mouth, to Beacon Rock, located approximately four miles below Bonneville Dam. Only bank angling is allowed from Beacon Rock upstream to Bonneville Dam.
This is the second time in the past two weeks that fishery managers have reopened the spring Chinook season on the Columbia. Today’s action was based on updated run size and harvest data.
The catch during last weekend’s reopening was lower than expected, according to Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife Columbia River Program Manager Tucker Jones.
“While there is still some uncertainty around the size of this year’s run, we have enough fish left to provide a few more days of fishing before the next run update,” he said.
Jones said the size of this year’s Chinook run will be updated again next week, and he is hoping the numbers will support another opening Memorial Day weekend but that will depend on the updated run size. Fishery managers are planning to meet again on Tuesday.
The daily bag limit is two fin-clipped adult salmonids per day of which only one may be a Chinook. Retention of fin-clipped Chinook jacks is also allowed. Retention of jacks is allowed. Sockeye salmon must be released.
