|
March 30, 2022
SALEM, Ore.—Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington today adopted a sturgeon retention season for the Lower Columbia River estuary below Wauna Powerlines as follows:
- Season: Wednesdays and Saturdays from May 11 until June 4, plus Monday May 30 (Memorial Day)
- Area: Mainstem Columbia from the Wauna Powerlines (near river mile 40) downstream to the mouth at Buoy 10, including Youngs Bay, and all adjacent Washington tributaries
- Legal size: 44-inch minimum and 50-inch maximum fork length (measured in a straight line from the tip of the nose to the fork in the caudal fin (tail) with the fish laying on its side on a flat surface, with the tape measure/ruler positioned flat under the fish)
- Bag limit: Daily one legal sturgeon, annual two legal sturgeon.
To allow for a longer season and a weekend fishing day in June, the season will start in mid-May (when catch rates are lower), and retention will be open only two days per week not three. On open retention days, all sturgeon fishing including catch-and-release will close at 2 p.m. With fewer days and a 2 p.m. closure, staff have time to review the fishery’s performance on a weekly basis and take action if necessary.
The season structure is intended to provide a balanced approach within a lower harvest guideline than recent years that still offers four weekend and four weekday fishing days, plus an extra day of retention on the Memorial Day holiday.
Anglers are reminded to always check the Recreation Report – Fishing Report for the Columbia River Zone before fishing to be certain the season doesn’t close early as a fishery can close suddenly if catch rates are higher than expected https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/columbia-zone
###
|
