Recreational fishermen will be able to get out on the Columbia River to catch and retain white sturgeon this coming Saturday under rules approved Monday by the Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife.
The one-day recreational fishery will take place on Saturday, Oct. 12 from the Wauna power lines (which cross the Columbia at river mile 40) upstream to the fishing deadlines at Bonneville Dam.
Approximately 540 fish remain available on the 1,230 white sturgeon harvest guideline for this fishery. Depending on actual harvest, which is expected to be about 150 fish, fishery managers may consider additional sturgeon fishing opportunity in the following week(s).
The bag limit is one legal-sized white sturgeon for the day and up to two for the year. Anglers are reminded that the annual limit applies to any/all 2019 retention fisheries, including those that occurred earlier this year upstream or downstream of Bonneville Dam. A legal-sized sturgeon is defined as one measuring 44-50 inches fork length.
Anglers are cautioned to pay close attention to the instructions for measuring sturgeon. Fork length is measured in a straight line from the tip of the nose to the fork in the tail fin with the fish laying on its side on a flat surface and the ruler positioned flat under the fish. (See page 12 of the 2019 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.)
For more information and regulation updates, please see Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Columbia River Zone online.
