Columbia Fall Chinook Managers Extend Fisheries Thru End Of September, Reopen A Lower Stretch

Editor’s note: Updated 4:50 p.m., Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at bottom with ODFW press release

Columbia salmon managers are adding still more time to fish for fall Chinook on the big river, including reopening the west Puget Island to Warrior Rock-Bachelor Island line fishery starting this Friday, September 20, through September 30.

Season will also now run through the end of the month in the Buoy 10 management zone and from the Warrior Rock-Bachelor Island line up to Highway 395 in Tri-Cities after today’s decision by ODFW and WDFW director representatives. Last week, the DFWs extended fishing on these two stretches through September 22 but had left WPI-WR closed.

The prior limits remain in place – anglers may retain up to one Chinook a day, wild or hatchery, but wild coho must be released downstream of the Hood River Bridge.

Staffers at both agencies estimate anglers will catch 270 more kings at Buoy 10, 1,460 kings between Puget Island and Warrior Rock, 2,750 from the rock to Bonneville, and 1,180 from the dam to Tri-Cities.

But the extension, reopener as well as more time for nontribal commercial netters was not exactly embraced by Hanford Reach anglers, who worried about natural spawner numbers on the free-flowing middle Columbia and potential for a rumored early closure.

Sportfishing advisor Don McBride said that even though 100,000-plus upriver bright fall Chinook have passed McNary Dam, well above the goal of 60,000, after counting fish turning off to the Snake and Yakima and back to the hatchery, only 20,000 of the 30,000 needed natural-origin fish have been accounted for. URBs power sport fisheries from Buoy 10 to Bonneville to B Reactor to the bottom of Hells Canyon.

Anticipating the questions, WDFW’s Ryan Lothrop said he’d checked in with upriver biologists and said that things appear to be improving with the run in recent days and the fishery is “expected to continue as planned,” which Northwest Sportsman confirmed with district biologist Todd Miller late this morning.

That left Lothrop in favor of the additional opportunities, and ODFW’s Tucker Jones, who said he heard Washington’s concerns, concurred, and they approved the reopener, extensions and additional net dates.

THE FOLLOWING IS AN ODFW PRESS RELEASE

Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington added more recreational salmon fishing days in the mainstem Columbia River during a joint state hearing today.  

With today’s changes, the following seasons are in effect: 

• Buoy 10 to west Puget Island: Chinook retention will now remain open in the Buoy 10 fishery through Sept. 30 with a daily adult bag limit of three salmon (Chinook or hatchery coho, only one may be a Chinook). From Oct. 1-31, three adult hatchery coho can be retained daily but Chinook must be released. 

• West Puget Island to Warrior Rock: This area had closed to all salmon angling on Sept. 12 consistent with the preseason fishing plan but will now reopen Sept. 20-30 with a daily adult bag limit of two salmon (Chinook or hatchery coho, only one may be a Chinook). 

• Warrior Rock/Bachelor Island line upstream to Bonneville Dam: Chinook and hatchery coho retention will remain open through Sept. 30 with a daily adult bag limit of two salmon (Chinook or hatchery coho, only one may be a Chinook). 

• Bonneville Dam upstream to Hwy 395 Bridge at Pasco, WA:  Chinook and hatchery coho retention will remain open until Sept. 30 with a bag limit of two salmon (Chinook or coho, only one may be a Chinook). Wild coho caught downstream of the Hood River Bridge must be released. 

• Anglers should note that for all of the fisheries listed above, retention of coho (hatchery only downstream of the Hood River Bridge) is expected to be open through the end of the year, as planned pre-season. 

 Visit the Columbia River zone regulations updates page for more details, https://myodfw.com/articles/regulation-updates#columbia-zone 

All other permanent regulations are in effect including the use of barbless hooks when angling for salmon or steelhead in mainstem Columbia River waters from the mouth upstream to the OR/WA state line. 

Today’s decision came after fishery biologists with the U.S. v. Oregon Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) met on Sept. 16 and provided another update to the expected upriver fall Chinook run. The upriver bright Chinook run, the primary limiting stock in preseason planning, was again upgraded slightly. This information, in addition to an assessment of harvest in recreational fall-season fisheries, allowed the states to consider additional salmon fishing.    

Fishery managers may meet again next week to consider additional non-treaty fisheries; subscribe to Columbia River Action Notices or Fact Sheets for future meeting updates.