The pikeminnow bounty season on the Columbia system has been extended by more than a week and a half at select stations, according to program managers.
They say that the Cathlamet, Washougal, Stevenson and The Dalles stations on the Columbia River and Boyer Park and Swallows Park stations on the Snake River will be open through October 11.
All other open stations in the 2026 Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Season are scheduled to close at the end of September 30, as per usual.
It’s at least the fourth time this decade that the season for some stations has gone into October, following on extensions in 2020, 2021 and 2025.
In 2024 it actually closed early after the $1.7 million reward fund was exhausted by September 25, a week before the typical end of season.
The bounty program pays fishermen from $6 to $10 per qualifying pikeminnow, a native salmon smolt predator that has an outsized impact on outmigrating young Chinook, coho and steelhead in the still-water reservoirs of the Columbia and Snake hydropower system. BPA funds it. Specially tagged fish are worth $500.
A total of 110,259 pikeminnow have been brought in so far this season, with about 10 percent of the haul coming from just one angler who has earned $111,390 as of September 2.
For more info, including station hours, see pikeminnow.org or call the program hotline at (800) 858-9015 or (360) 906-6707.
