Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon have approved a sport fishery for spring Chinook salmon on the Columbia River.
With a significant reduction in fish available for harvest this year, managers were forced to restrict the seasons. Preseason projections are for about 99,300 upriver spring Chinook to reach the Columbia this year, down 14 percent from last year and 50 percent below the 10-year average. Those fish return to hatcheries and spawning areas upriver from Bonneville Dam.
In addition, returns to the Cowlitz and Lewis Rivers in Washington are expected to especially poor, and could fall short of hatchery escapement goals. On the Cowlitz, this year’s spring chinook run is projected to be just 11 percent of the 10-year average.
The weak returns are the result of poor ocean conditions that have persisted for years.
The new fishing regulations approved Wednesday will take effect in the following areas:
• Columbia River below Bonneville Dam: Salmon fishing will open March 1 through April 10 on the Columbia River upstream from Warrior Rock boundary line to Bonneville Dam. Anglers may retain two salmon, two steelhead, or one of each per day, but only one salmon may be a chinook. The lower river downstream from Warrior Rock will be closed to fishing from March 1 through April 10 to conserve spring chinook returning to the Cowlitz and Lewis rivers.
• Tributaries: The Cowlitz and Lewis rivers will also close to salmon fishing March 1 to conserve spring chinook for hatchery escapement needs, but will remain open for hatchery steelhead retention. The Kalama River will remain open to fishing for salmon and steelhead, but the daily limit of adult salmon will be reduced to one fish on March 1.
• Columbia River above Bonneville Dam: Waters above Bonneville Dam to the Oregon/Washington state line above McNary Dam will open to salmon fishing April 1 through May 5. Anglers may retain two salmon, two steelhead, or one of each per day, but only one salmon may be a chinook.
In all open waters, only hatchery salmon and steelhead identified by a clipped adipose fin and healed scar may be retained.
Buzz Ramsey of Yakima Bait notes that the last time the lower river was closed, the bite was very good above the deadline.
“The fish are going to be more abundant in the first 5 or 10 miles above the deadline,” said Ramsey. “That and the fact that our season is an early one could mean some pretty good fishing.”
Anglers are strongly advised to review the rules for the waters they plan to fish, available on the department’s website at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/
