CLACKAMAS, ORE — State fishery officials from Oregon and Washington decided to close the retention of sturgeon on the mainstem Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to the Dalles Dam at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 29.

Catch and release fishing will be allowed throughout the remainder of the year.

“June and July have been very successful months for sturgeon anglers,” says John North, ODFW Columbia River Fisheries Manager. “At the rate they’re going, we can predict they will be close to achieving their 700 fish limit by July 30 which is why we’ve made the decision to close the season to retention.”

Fish managers set the Columbia River sturgeon fishery harvest guidelines based on recent population estimates, escapement needs, and harvest allocation agreements for Treaty and non-Treaty fisheries.

The Dalles Pool was closed to sturgeon retention on March 28 and the John Day Pool was closed to retention on June 10. Sturgeon retention will resume January 1, 2008 in the Bonneville, Dalles and John Day Pools.

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