CLACKAMAS, Ore — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has adopted a temporary rule that will increase the bag limit for coho salmon to three adipose fin-clipped coho salmon per day beginning Sept. 17 on the Sandy and Clackamas rivers and one of its tributaries, Eagle Creek.

The previous regulation allowed anglers a limit of two adipose fin-clipped coho salmon per day.

The rule change was adopted in light of run forecasts for Eagle Creek National Fish Hatchery on the Clackamas River and Sandy Hatchery on the Sandy River, which are expecting higher than average returns, making this additional sport angling opportunity possible.

“Returns of hatchery coho are projected to be well in excess of broodstock needs for the 2008 return year in the Clackamas and Sandy rivers,” said Todd Alsbury, district fish biologist.

Alsbury said the agency decided to relax the bag limit to three adipose fin-clipped coho in order to prevent excessive straying of hatchery adults onto wild coho spawning grounds and also to provide angling opportunity where impacts to wild fish should be limited.

“We’re very happy to provide this opportunity for anglers to take advantage of the returns of hatchery coho salmon to area rivers,” he added.

The Sandy and Clackamas rivers will remain open through the end of October before closing to retention of all coho. Eagle Creek, which is a tributary to the Clackamas River, will remain open to retention of three adipose fin-clipped coho through the end of November. Anglers are reminded to consult the 2008 angling regulations for areas open to fishing in these rivers.

Anglers can find the latest fishing regulations and information regarding closures on the ODFW website at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/. Or on the ODFW telephone hotline at 1-503-947-6000.

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