CLACKAMAS, Ore. — Spring chinook angling in the lower Columbia River is projected to last through April 10 before the early season closes and sportsmen wait until a mid-May update of the salmon forecast.
Under the plethora of state, federal and tribal management agreements, guidelines and catch buffers, sport fishermen downstream of Bonneville Dam have an initial allocation of 10,324 upper Columbia-Snake spring chinook, according to Robin Elhke, assistant Columbia River policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Assuming fishing regulations similar to the past four seasons, that allocation would provide for spring chinook retention through April 10, said Jeff Whisler of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Washington and Oregon officials shared the projection Wednesday with the bi-state Columbia River Recreational Advisor Group.
The states will adopt the 2015 spring chinook fishing regulations at a hearing beginning at 10 a.m. Jan. 28 at the Clark Regional Wastewater District, 8000 N.E. 52nd Court.
Fishing is anticipated to be open for boaters from Tongue Point, east of Astoria, to Beacon Rock in Columbia River Gorge and for bank rods from Tongue Point to Bonneville Dam. Closures are likely on March 24, March 31 and April 7 to accommodate commercial fishing and avoid sport-commercial conflicts.
Whistler said the projected catch of upper Columbia-Snake spring chinook would be 9,782, leaving a balance of 542. To add April 11, a Saturday, would result in going over the allocation by 1,250 chinook.
The overall spring chinook kept catch through April 10 is projected to be 11,476, adding in salmon headed for the Willamette, Sandy, Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis rivers.
Anglers between Bonneville and McNary dams will have 1,377 spring chinook available in the early season. Lower Snake River sportsmen will have 1,105 chinook in their initial allocation.
A run of 232,500 spring chinook is forecast to enter the Columbia destined for waters upstream of Bonneville Dam. Predictions are for an additional 55,400 to head for the Willamette River and 5,500 to head for the Sandy River, both in Oregon.
For the Washington lower Columbia tributaries, the predictions are 11,200 to the Cowlitz, 1,900 to the Kalama and 1,100 to the Lewis.
Another 5,000 are forecast back to off-channel areas such as Youngs Bay at Astoria.
Only fin-clipped, hatchery-origin spring chinook may be kept. About 80 percent of the upper Columbia-Snake chinook are hatchery origin, Ehlke said
Spring chinook are managed with a 30 percent buffer to avoid overharvest. The forecast is updated in mid-May, once the run has peaked at Bonneville Dam, and the buffer is removed.
Once the balance of chinook available for harvest is known, fishing seasons can be reopened in the Columbia and structured to catch the remaining allocation.
Commercial fishermen have an early-season allocation of 1,760 upper Columbia-Snake spring chinook in the lower Columbia, plus 244 more in the off-channel areas.
