Salmon fishing season in the Columbia River will continue at least through Sept. 30, Washington and Oregon officials agreed Wednesday.
State, tribal and federal biologists originally forecast a run of 551,800 adult fall chinook, but updated that last week to 588,350 and updated it again on Monday to 606,850 chinook.
Here are the updated regulations, by area:
Buoy 10 to west Puget Island (near Cathlamet) — Open through Sept. 30 for three adult salmon daily, including any chinook and hatchery coho. Only one chinook can be in the three-fish bag.
West Puget Island to Warrior Rock (near Woodland) — Open beginning Friday through Sept. 30 for two salmon daily, any chinook and hatchery coho, but only one chinook.
Warrior Rock to Highway 395 (in the Tri-Cities) — Open through Sept. 30 for two salmon daily, chinook or coho, but only one chinook. Only hatchery coho can be kept downstream of the Hood River-Bingen Bridge, but any coho upstream.
Anglers are projected to catch 270 adult chinook between Buoy 10 and west Puget Island, 1,460 chinook between West Puget Island and Warrior Rock, 2,750 between Warrior Rock and Bonneville Dam and 1,180 between Bonneville Dam and Highway 395 in Pasco.
Four nights of commercial fishing between Warrior Rock and Beacon Rock also were approved.
The gillnets will be in the river Thursday night (Sept. 19-20), Sunday night (Sept. 22-23), Tuesday night Sept. 24-25 and next Thursday (Sept. 26-27).
