COLUMBIA ZONE: Regulation Changes

News:

States re-open upper Columbia for spring chinook

2012 summer and fall salmon seasons set for Columbia River

Spring/Summer Salmon Season (May 16-July 31 timeframe)

HOOK REGULATION

• During May 16 – July 31, 2012 when bank angling at Cascade Locks in the area between the boat ramp at the lower end of the locks upstream to the east (upstream) end of the lock wall only single-point hooks are allowed.

STEELHEAD

• Retention of adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed May 16 – June 15, 2012 from a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red buoy #44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point upstream to the I-5 Bridge under permanent regulations.
  
  
• Retention of adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed June 16 – July 31, 2012 from Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the OR/WA border under permanent regulations.
  
  
• Retention of adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed May 19 - May 20, 2012 from Tower Island Power lines (located approximately 6 miles downstream from The Dalles Dam) upstream to OR/WA border for boat and bank, plus BANK ANGLING ONLY from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Tower Island Power lines.

SPRING CHINOOK (May 16-June 15 timeframe)

• Retention of adipose fin-clipped Chinook jacks (12-24”) allowed May 16 – June 15, 2012 from a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red buoy #44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point upstream to the I-5 Bridge under permanent regulations.
  
  
• Retention of adipose fin-clipped Chinook (adults and jacks) allowed May 19 - May 20, 2012 from Tower Island Power lines (located approximately 6 miles downstream from The Dalles Dam) upstream to OR/WA border for boat and bank, plus BANK ANGLING ONLY from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Tower Island Power lines.
  
  
  • Daily bag limit is 2 adult salmon/steelhead in combination.
  • Up to 5 adipose fin-clipped jacks may be retained in addition to the adult bag limit.

SOCKEYE SALMON

• Retention of sockeye allowed May 16 – June 15, 2012 (or until guideline) from a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red buoy #44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point upstream to the I-5 Bridge.
  
  
• Retention of sockeye allowed June 16 – July 1, 2012 (or until guideline) from Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam.
  
  
• Retention of sockeye allowed June 16 – July 31, 2012 from Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border.
  
  
• All sockeye count towards the adult salmonid daily limit regardless of size.

SUMMER CHINOOK (June 16-July 31 timeframe)

• Retention of adipose fin-clipped Chinook adults (>24”) allowed June 16 – July 1, 2012 (or until guideline) from Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam.
• Retention of adipose fin-clipped Chinook adults (>24”) allowed June 16 – July 31, 2012 from Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border.
• Retention of adipose fin-clipped Chinook jacks (12”-24”) allowed June 16 – July 31, 2012 from Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the OR/WA border under permanent regulations.
• Daily bag limit is 2 adult salmon/steelhead in combination.
• Up to 5 adipose fin-clipped jacks may be retained in addition to the adult bag limit.

Fall Salmon Season (August 1-December 31 timeframe)

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Buoy 10 upstream to Tongue Point/ Rocky Point (Buoy 10 line upstream to a line projected from Rocky Point on the WA shore through red buoy #44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point).

• Open to retention of adult (>16”) adipose fin-clipped coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead during August 1 - December 31, 2012 under permanent rules.
  
  
• Open to retention of adult (>24”) Chinook during August 1-September 3, 2012 (or until guideline) and October 1-December 31, 2012.
  
  
• The combined daily bag limit is two adults, only one of which may be a Chinook during August 1 – September 3, 2012. Beginning October 1 the combined daily bag limit is two adults.
  
  
• Jacks may not be retained between August 1 and September 30, 2012 under permanent rules.
  
  
• All other permanent regulations apply.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Tongue Point/ Rocky Point upstream to Bonneville Dam) (a line projected from Rocky Point on the WA shore through red buoy #44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point upstream to Bonneville Dam)

• Open to retention of adipose fin-clipped coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead during August 1 - December 31, 2012 under permanent rules.
  
  
• Open to retention of Chinook:
  
  
  • August 1 - September 9, 2012 (or until guideline) and October 1-December 31, 2012 from the Rocky Point-Tongue Point line upstream to a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore to red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island.
    
    
  • August 1 – December 31, 2012 (or until guideline) from a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore to red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island, upstream to Bonneville Dam.
    
    
  • The combined daily bag limit is two adults and five jack salmon. During August 1-September 9, 2012 the daily bag limit may not include more than one adult Chinook. During September 10 – December 31, 2012, the daily bag limit may include two Chinook upstream of Warrior Rock.  During October 1 – December 31, 2012 the daily bag limit may include up to two Chinook from Tongue Point upstream to Bonneville Dam.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border (Rocky Point on the WA shore through red buoy #44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point upstream to Bonneville Dam)

• Retention of Chinook, coho, and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed August 1 – December 31, 2012 (or until guideline) under permanent regulations.
  
  
• The combined daily bag limit is two adults and five jack salmon.
  
  
• All coho retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge must be adipose fin-clipped.

SHAD

• Retention of shad allowed May 16 – December 31, 2012 from the Buoy 10 line upstream to Bonneville Dam under permanent regulations.
  
  
• Retention of shad allowed all year from Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border under permanent regulations.

STURGEON

• The retention of green sturgeon is prohibited at all times.
  
  
• Anglers are limited to the use of one single-point barbless hook while angling for white sturgeon.
  
  
• It is unlawful to use lamprey for bait.
  
  
• In all areas, catch-and-release sturgeon angling is allowed during non-retention periods, unless otherwise indicated.
  
  
• The lower Willamette River (including Multnomah Channel and the Gilbert River) sturgeon regulation updates can be found under the Willamette Zone.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Buoy 10 upstream to Wauna Powerlines(mainstem Columbia River from the Wauna powerlines (River Mile 40) downstream to the mouth at Buoy 10, including Youngs Bay; and all adjacent Washington tributaries)

• Open to retention of white sturgeon 7 days per week during January 1 - April 30, 2012, and May 12 - July 8, 2012.
  
  
• Daily bag limit is 1 white sturgeon, 38-54 inches FORK LENGTH during January 1 - April 20, 2012 and 41-54 inches FORK LENGTH during May 12 - July 8, 2012

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Wauna Powerlines (RM 40) upstream to Bonneville Dam (including all adjacent Washington tributaries)

• Open to retention of white sturgeon on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays during January 1 - July 31, 2012 and October 20 - December 31, 2012.
  
  
• Daily bag limit is 1 white sturgeon, 38-54 inches FORK LENGTH.
  
  
• Angling for sturgeon is prohibited from May 1-August 31 from Bonneville Dam downstream to a line crossing the Columbia River from Navigation Marker 82 on the Oregon shore through the upstream exposed end of Skamania Island, continuing in a straight line to the Washington Shore under permanent regulations.

COLUMBIA RIVER RESERVOIRS, between Bonneville Dam and McNary Dam
Sturgeon creel sampling summaries and catch estimates for Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day reservoirs can be found on the WDFW Website.

Bonneville Reservoir (Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam)

• Open to retention of white sturgeon during June 15-16, 2012 (Friday, Saturday) and June 22-23, 2012 (Friday, Saturday).
• Daily bag limit is 1 white sturgeon, 38-54 inches FORK LENGTH.

The Dalles Reservoir (The Dalles Dam upstream to John Day Dam)

• Effective January 1, 2012 (permanent regulations), The Dalles Reservoir is open to retention of white sturgeon until the reservoir-specific harvest guideline is met.

John Day Reservoir (John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam)

• Effective January 1-May 20, 2012, this area is open to retention of white sturgeon under permanent regulations.
• Effective 12:01 am Monday May 21, 2012, the Columbia River and tributaries in this area will close to the retention of white sturgeon.
• Catch and release angling will remain open.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Upstream of McNary Dam
Effective February 1 - July 31, 2012, under permanent regulations:

• Open to retention of white sturgeon from February 1 – July 31 annually.