Final commercial salmon fishing periods set

Washington and Oregon on Thursday adopted the final commercial salmon fishing periods of 2014 for the lower Columbia River.

The netters will fish with 6-inch-maximum mesh from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Oct. 31 downstream of Warrior Rock Lighthouse at the downstream end of Sauvie Island. Between Warrior Rock and Beacon Rock, the fleet will fish with 8-inch-minimum mesh from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Sunday, Tuesday and Oct. 30.

Biologist Robin Ehlke of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said the commercials are projected to catch 4,000 coho and 500 chinook next week.

“It sounds there still is some interest for coho,” said John North, Columbia River manager for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “This is one last opportunity to get at some of those fish.”

This fall, the commercial fleet has landed 100,900 chinook and 47,200 coho in the lower Columbia, plus a research fishery testing seines landed 2,400 chinook and 1,000 coho.

Commercial fishermen in off-channel areas such as Youngs Bay at Astoria have landed 24,200 chinook and 164,200 coho, Ehlke said.

State and tribal biologists project the 2014 Columbia River run is 1.15 million chinook and 803,700 coho, both exceptional numbers.