The lower Columbia River below Bonneville Dam will open additional areas for recreational salmon fishing beginning Oct. 1, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon announced Wednesday.
The lower river closed to recreational fishing in early September to protect lower Columbia River “tule” Chinook salmon, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Portions of the lower river reopened in mid-September for coho and Chinook fishing.
With the vast majority of the lower river “tule” Chinook having moved out of the mainstem Columbia River into the tributaries, fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife determined that fishing could resume throughout the lower river.
“Based on historic run timing and catch information, we’re able to reopen fishing across the lower river without exceeding our allowed impacts for ESA-listed fish,” said Ryan Lothrop, Columbia River fisheries manager with WDFW. “We continue to see coho and upriver Chinook moving upstream, so there should be some late-season mainstem opportunity for any anglers who want to brave the fall weather.”
Managers had closed all salmon fishing below Bonneville Dam on Sept. 2 after the recreational fishery exceeded its allowable impact to the ESA-listed lower Columbia River tule fall Chinook. On Sept.15, the states reopened Buoy 10 to retention of hatchery coho, and the area from Reed Island to Bonneville Dam to Chinook and hatchery coho, where impacts to lower Columbia River fall Chinook would be minimal.
In making their decision to reopen Chinook retention, fishery managers considered updated run sizes for upriver Chinook runs, catch projections, and past data which indicates the majority of lower river tule Chinook have entered the tributaries by late September. Reopening lower mainstem recreational Chinook retention will have minimal impacts on listed tule fall Chinook and will not affect planned commercial fishing seasons.
While managers don’t expect additional impacts to tules in the Columbia River mainstem, there are concerns about low numbers of those lower river Chinook that have returned to some area tributaries, particularly the Cowlitz and Washougal rivers. Washington fishery managers anticipate taking action to increase the likelihood that broodstock collection goals can be met for those rivers.
Salmon fishing will be open on the mainstem from Buoy 10 near the mouth of the Columbia to the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line with a daily adult bag limit of three salmon, only one of which may be a Chinook. Anglers must release all steelhead and salmon other than Chinook or hatchery coho.
From the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line to Bonneville Dam, the daily adult bag limit is two fish, only one of which may be a Chinook. Anglers must release all steelhead and salmon other than Chinook or hatchery coho.
Also see:
–CBB, Sept. 14, 2022, MORE RECREATIONAL FISHING OPENS UP ON LOWER COLUMBIA, INCLUDING HATCHERY COHO ANGLING AT BUOY 10 https://cbbulletin.com/more-recreational-fishing-opens-up-on-lower-columbia-including-hatchery-coho-angling-at-buoy-10/
— CBB, September 1, 2022, COLUMBIA RIVER HARVEST MANAGERS SHUT DOWN SALMON FISHING BELOW BONNEVILLE DAM; LIMIT ON ESA-LISTED LOWER RIVER FALL CHINOOK SURPASSED, HTTPS://CBBULLETIN.COM/COLUMBIA-RIVER-HARVEST-MANAGERS-SHUT-DOWN-SALMON-FISHING-BELOW-BONNEVILLE-LIMIT-ON-ESA-LISTED-LOWER-RIVER-FALL-CHINOOK-SURPASSED/