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April 11, 2014
CLACKAMAS, Ore. – Oregon and Washington fishery managers announced the 2014 summer and fall salmon and steelhead seasons for the Columbia River and, thanks to strong projected returns, they include bigger bag limits for several areas.
The 2014 seasons are based on a projected record return of 1.6 million fall Chinook and over 900,000 hatchery coho salmon. Based on these projections, bag limits have been increased for the following fisheries:
- At Buoy 10, anglers will be able to keep three adipose-clipped coho after Sept 1.
- From the Lewis River to the Sandy River the season will start off with a two Chinook limit.
- From the Sandy to Washougal rivers upstream to the OR/WA border, the daily bag limit for fall Chinook will be three (fin-clipped or not).
Also for fall 2014 is the continuation of the “boat limit” rule from Buoy 10 to the OR/WA border. Anglers fishing from the same boat may continue fishing for salmon until all licensed anglers have reached their daily limits.
Based on the run size and larger bag limits, managers are predicting the number of fish caught in 2014 will be 40 percent higher than in 2013. The number of days on the water is expected to be similar to 2013.
According to Chris Kern, ODFW deputy administrator for Columbia and Marine programs, the major constraint to allowing additional fishing days is still the allowable harvest rate of ESA-listed wild tule Chinook.
“This year the allowable impacts on wild tules for southern U.S. fisheries is nearly 10 percent lower than in 2013,” Kern said. “As a result we need to constrain fisheries in areas of the lower river where anglers are more likely to encounter more tules.“
“At the same time, we’ve tried to maximize opportunities in upriver areas where anglers can take advantage of the huge Chinook returns with fewer impacts on wild tules,” he added.
“While we couldn’t achieve much in the way of additional days on the water, we expect catch rates to be even higher than last year’s,” Kern said.
Anglers should be alert for potential in-season modifications, especially in the Buoy 10 and middle river areas.
Here are the details of the 2014 Columbia River summer and fall salmon and steelhead seasons:
Summer Seasons*
- Summer Chinook and Sockeye
- Retention of sockeye and adipose fin-clipped adult summer Chinook (longer than 24-inches) allowed:
- June 16 – June 30 from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam.
- June 16 – July 31 from Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border.
- Retention of adipose fin-clipped jack summer Chinook (between 12 and 24-inches long) and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed June 16 – July 31 from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the OR/WA border.
- The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids and five jacks. All sockeye are considered adults in the daily limit.
- All other permanent rules apply.
Fall Seasons*
- Buoy 10
- Area definition: From the Buoy 10 line upstream to a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red buoy #44 to red marker #2 at Tongue Point on the Oregon shore.
- August 1 – December 31: Retention of adipose fin-clipped adult coho (16-inches or longer) and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed.
- August 1 – 29: Retention of adult Chinook (24-inches or longer, fin-clipped or not) is allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids, only one of which may be a Chinook.
- August 30 – September 1: Retention of adipose or left-ventral fin-clipped adult Chinook is allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids, only one of which may be a Chinook.
- September 2 – 30: Retention of Chinook is prohibited but the daily bag limit increases to three adult salmonids of which no more than 2 may be hatchery steelhead.
- October 1 – December 31: Retention of adult Chinook (fin-clipped or not) is allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids.
- Jacks may not be retained between August 1 and September 30 under permanent rules.
- All other permanent rules apply.
- Lower Columbia – Tongue Point/Rocky Point upstream to Warrior Rock/Bachelor Island
- Area definition: From a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red buoy #44 to the red marker #2 at Tongue Point on the Oregon shore upstream to a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore through red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island.
August 1 – December 31: Retention of adipose fin-clipped adult coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed.
- August 1 – September 6: Retention of adult Chinook (longer than 24-inches, fin-clipped or not) is allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids, only one of which may be a Chinook.
- September 7 – 14: Retention of adipose fin-clipped adult Chinook is allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids, only one of which may be a Chinook.
- September 15 – 30: Retention of Chinook is prohibited. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids.
- October 1 – December 31: Retention of adult Chinook (fin-clipped or not) is allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids.
- Each legal angler aboard a vessel may continue to deploy angling gear until the daily adult salmonid bag limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved.
- All other permanent rules apply, including bag limits for jacks.
- Lower Columbia – Warrior Rock/Bachelor Isl. upstream to Steamboat Landing/Marker #50
- Area definition: From a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore through red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island upstream to a line projected from the most downstream point on the Steamboat Landing dock on the Washington shore through navigation light #50 to the Oregon shore. Fishing from the Steamboat Landing dock is considered within the fishing area.
- August 1 – December 31: Retention of adult Chinook (fin-clipped or not), adipose fin-clipped adult coho, and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids.
- Each legal angler aboard a vessel may continue to deploy angling gear until the daily adult salmonid bag limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved.
- All other permanent rules apply, including bag limits for jacks.
- Lower Columbia - Steamboat Landing/Marker #50 upstream to Bonneville Dam
- Area definition: From a line projected from the most downstream point on the Steamboat Landing dock on the Washington shore through navigation light #50 to the Oregon shore upstream to Bonneville Dam.
- August 1 – December 31: Retention of adult Chinook (fin-clipped or not), adipose fin-clipped adult coho, and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed. The daily bag limit is three adult salmonids, of which at least one must be a Chinook.
- Each legal angler aboard a vessel may continue to deploy angling gear until the daily adult salmonid bag limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved.
- All other permanent rules apply, including bag limits for jacks.
- Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border (upstream of McNary Dam)
- August 1 – December 31: Retention of adult Chinook (fin-clipped or not), adult coho, and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed. The daily bag limit is three adult salmonids, of which at least one must be a Chinook.
- All coho retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge must be adipose fin-clipped.
- Each legal angler aboard a vessel may continue to deploy angling gear until the daily adult salmonid bag limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved.
- All other permanent rules apply, including bag limits for jacks.
* Seasons may be subject to in-season modification.
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