States set additional Columbia River spring Chinook fishing days

May 18, 2021

CLACKAMAS, Ore.—Following a run upgrade, fishery managers from Oregon and Washington adopted additional fishing days for recreational spring Chinook salmon in the Columbia River today during a joint state hearing.

This additional opportunity is based on a projected return of 87,000 adult upriver spring Chinook to the Columbia River mouth, which exceeds the preseason forecast of 75,200 adults. The larger return provides additional post-update harvest opportunity both below and above Bonneville Dam. 

However, given the low passage of Skamania stock steelhead over Bonneville Dam to-date, managers elected to reduce the steelhead bag limit to one fish starting this Friday and continuing through the spring management period which ends June 15.  A one steelhead bag limit was also previously adopted for the summer management period which begins June 16.

The season dates and bag limits for the additional fishing days are:

Below Bonneville Dam

• Season: Friday May 21 through Sunday May 23, and June 1-15
• Bag limit: Two adult hatchery salmonids (Chinook or steelhead) per day, but only one may be a Chinook and only one may be a steelhead.
• Open area: Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline (boat and bank), except salmonid angling from a boat is prohibited in the spring salmonid boat-angling area closure adjacent to the Cowlitz River mouth (map available at https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/columbia-zone).

Bonneville Dam to Oregon/Washington Border

• Season: Saturday May 22, Sunday May 23, Saturday May 29, and Sunday May 30
• Open area: Tower Island power lines (approximately six miles below The Dalles Dam) upstream to Oregon/Washington border, plus the Oregon and Washington banks between Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island power lines.
• Bag limit: Two adult hatchery salmonids (Chinook or steelhead) per day, but only one may be a Chinook and only one may be a steelhead.

Fishery managers scheduled another hearing for 3 p.m. next Tuesday, May 25 to consider the latest information on catch rates and determine if additional fishing days can be added.

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