BY ANDY WALGAMOTT, NORTHWEST SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE
Columbia sturgeon managers will mull a February 16 sturgeon retention opener on both the Bonneville and The Dalles Pools when they meet Wednesday morning.
A fact sheet out this afternoon says staffers at the DFWs expect that their recommendation to hold a one-day opener at the start of the week (a workday for some, Presidents’ Day holiday for others) would yield 771 sturgeon on the lower pool, or 62 percent of the guideline, and 95 fish on the upper pool, or 35 percent of the cap.
“Following these openers, staff will assess harvest balances and determine whether additional retention opportunity can be recommended,” the fact sheet states.
Season on both pools has traditionally begun on January 1, but following high effort and catch on 2025’s opener, last November state managers decided to delay keeper season until further into winter when colder waters flushing through the Columbia Gorge would likely tamp down the bite.
Water temperatures in The Dalles Dam tailrace have cooled since New Years, but they’re still warmer than the average, per the DFWs. This winter has been running warm, but is forecast to turn cooler and wetter in the coming weeks.
“Current conditions would be expected to result in high, but reduced catch rates and effort in Bonneville and The Dalles pools relative to the expectations had these fisheries opened on January 1,” the fact sheet says.
There are a total of 1,250 sturgeon available in the Bonneville guideline, 275 in The Dalles.
The fact sheet also says that the John Day Pool, where only six sturgeon remain in the guideline after its week-plus of keeper fishing last month, will remain closed to retention. Catch-and-release fishing is open.
