Angling regulations for fall salmon in the Columbia River are changing as planned closures in mid-September approach.
Here is a summary of how the rules currently stand:
Buoy 10 to west Puget Island — Anglers are limited to hatchery coho, with a bag limit of two per day.
West Puget Island to Warrior Rock — Now through Sept. 11, anglers may retain hatchery chinook and hatchery coho. The limit is two salmon, but only one chinook. Fishing is closed Sept. 12-30, then reopens Oct. 1 for hatchery coho only.
Warrior Rock to Bonneville Dam — Fishing is open now through Sept. 15 for any chinook and hatchery coho. The daily limit is two salmon, but only one chinook. Fishing is closed Sept. 16-30, then reopens Oct. 1 for hatchery coho.
Bonneville Dam to The Dalles Dam — Fishing is open through Sept. 15 for any chinook, any coho upstream of the Hood River Bridge and hatchery coho downstream of the Hood River Bridge. Fishing is closed Sept. 16-30. Angling resumes for coho only on Oct. 1.
Fishery reports
From lower Columbia River, Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam there were 1,140 salmonid boats and 302 Washington bank rods tallied during the flight count on Aug. 31.
MAINSTEM COLUMBIA
Salmon/Steelhead
Sec. 1 (Bonneville) — 73 bank anglers kept seven Chinook, two jacks, and released two Chinook, three jacks, and one steelhead; 71 boats/193 rods kept 55 Chinook, three jacks, one coho, and released eight Chinook, and three jacks.
Sec 2 (Camas/Washougal) — 47 boats/103 rods kept 18 Chinook, two jacks, and released three Chinook, one jack, and two steelhead.
Sec 3 (I-5 area) — One bank angler had no catch; 13 boats/23 rods kept two Chinook.
Sec 4 (Vancouver) — 111 bank anglers kept four Chinook; 93 boats/196 rods kept 28 Chinook, six jacks, four coho, one coho jack, and released five Chinook, one jack, and four coho.
Sec 5 (Woodland) — 86 bank anglers kept eight Chinook and released one steelhead; 127 boats/289 rods kept 83 Chinook, five jacks, four coho, and released six Chinook and one coho.
Sec 6 (Kalama) — 348 bank anglers kept 100 Chinook, four jacks, and released two Chinook, one jack, and one coho; 36 boats/85 rods kept 28 Chinook, six jacks, two coho, and released one coho.
Sec 7 (Cowlitz) — 28 boats/89 rods kept 56 Chinook, three jacks, five coho, and released three Chinook and four coho.
Sec 8 (Longview) — 105 bank anglers kept 29 Chinook and one coho; 88 boats/199 rods kept 66 Chinook, seven jacks, 15 coho, one coho jack, and released four Chinook, four coho, three coho jacks and one steelhead.
Sec 9 (Cathlamet) — Five bank anglers had no catch; 64 boats/142 rods kept 68 Chinook, five jacks, 14 coho, and released six Chinook, two jacks, and five coho.
Sec 10 (Cathlamet) — Two boats/three rods had no catch.
COLUMBIA TRIBUTARIES
Salmon/Steelhead
Cowlitz River I-5 bridge downstream — 22 bank rods had no catch.
Cowlitz River above the I-5 bridge — 14 bank rods kept three steelhead; five boats/18 rods kept two steelhead.
Lewis River Mainstem — One bank angler had no catch; five boats/11 rods kept one steelhead.
North Fork Lewis River — 27 bank anglers kept two coho and released one Chinook; two boats/three rods kept two coho and one coho jack.
Drano Lake — 24 bank anglers kept one Chinook and released three steelhead; 65 boats/144 rods kept 34 Chinook, six jacks, three coho, and released 26 Chinook, five jacks, 24 steelhead and one coho jack.
Klickitat River below Fisher Hill Bridge — Two bank anglers had no catch.
Klickitat River above No. 5 Fishway — Two bank anglers had no catch.
ODFW CREEL CHECKS
Bonneville pool — 54 boats/152 anglers with 46 adult chinook, nine jack chinook and one coho kept plus 79 adult chinook, five jack chinook, three coho and one steelhead released; two boats/10 anglers with four sublegal sturgeon and two legal sturgeon released.
The Dalles pool — 57 boats/169 anglers with 46 adult chinook, four jack chinook and four coho kept plus three adult chinook, one jack chinook and one steelhead released; one boat/three anglers with one walleye kept.
John Day pool — 16 boats/32 anglers with 20 walleye kept and 12 released.
