PENDLETON — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) today announced the emergency closure of the lower Umatilla River spring Chinook season effective Thursday, May 10th, 2007 at 12:01 AM making Wednesday the 9th the last day for anglers to fish. The season is closing on the Umatilla River from Highway 730 Bridge upstream to Three Mile Dam. The fishery is co-managed by ODFW and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
The current run projection for the Umatilla River is 2,500spring Chinook salmon, which based on management guidelines equates to a sport harvest of 345 fish. The lower river closure will ensure that the sport harvest goal is not exceeded, maintain an upriver sport fishery and help ensure that broodstock and natural production needs are met.
The upper Umatilla spring Chinook season remains open upstream from Three Mile Dam to the reservation boundary located just upstream from Highway 11 Bridge at Pendleton.
For more information contact ODFW fish biologists Jeff Neal or Bill Duke in Pendleton at (541) 276-2344.
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