State fishery managers from Oregon and Washington added four retention days (June 12-15) for spring Chinook above Bonneville Dam and increased the adult hatchery Chinook bag limit river-wide to two fish during that same time period. They also added an additional Estuary sturgeon retention day (June 12) on the lower Columbia River.
From Saturday, June 12 through Tuesday, June 15, fishing will be open in the mainstem Columbia River from the Tower Island power lines (approximately six miles below The Dalles Dam) upstream to the Oregon/Washington border, plus the Oregon and Washington banks between Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island power lines. The daily adult bag limit is two hatchery salmonids (Chinook or steelhead) per day, but only one may be a steelhead.
Spring Chinook retention has been open below Bonneville Dam since June 1, so Thursday’s decision adjusts the adult bag limit from one hatchery Chinook per day to two in the open area for the last four days of the spring management period.
The increased daily limit for adult Chinook and continued limit of one hatchery steelhead per day within the daily bag aligns the remainder of the spring management period with bag limits previously adopted for the summer season that begins June 16.
Sturgeon retention will also be open Saturday, June 12 on the mainstem Columbia River from the Wauna powerlines downstream to the mouth at Buoy 10, including Youngs Bay, and all adjacent Washington tributaries. The allowable catch is up to 800 white sturgeon.
The daily bag limit is one legal-sized white sturgeon, with a statewide annual bag limit of two fish. Legal-size white sturgeon are those measuring a minimum of 44 inches and a maximum of 50 inches fork length, which is measured in a straight line under the fish from the tip of the nose to the fork in the caudal (tail) fin with the fish laying on a flat surface. Retention of green sturgeon is prohibited and single point barbless hooks are required when angling for sturgeon. Angling for sturgeon is prohibited after 2 p.m. including catch and release.
For the latest on Columbia River regulations visit the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s website.
