Clackamas, Ore — State fishery officials met today and decided to close the mainstem Columbia River recreational salmon fishery for retention of chinook salmon below Bonneville Dam at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, September 19 through December 31. The recreational chinook salmon fishery from Bonneville upstream to Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco, Washington will close to retention of chinook at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, September 20.

The catch quotas for upriver bright fall chinook are based upon a percent of the total upriver bright run.  The upriver bright run is now expected to come in about forty percent lower than preseason predictions. 

“Due to the reduced run size estimate, the recreational chinook fisheries have exceeded the allocation set aside for this fishery,” says Chris Kern, ODFW Assistant Columbia River Fisheries Manager.  “Unfortunately, this action was necessary to remain as close as possible to the management objectives.”  As with other in-season actions, fishery managers will continue to monitor the run and will consider potential re-openers if the run improves.

The mainstem Columbia River (Buoy 10 upstream to Highway 395 Bridge at Pasco, Washington) remains open for coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead.  Non-adipose fin-clipped coho must be released downstream of the Hood River Bridge.

Plans and catch allocations for the 2007 Columbia River fall fisheries were developed during the Pacific Fishery Management Council North of Falcon public process in March and April of 2007. 

Additional information may also be found on ODFW's Web page at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/OSCRP/CRM/index.asp