UPDATED Pikeminnow Season Extended At Select Stations

Updated 11:20 a.m., September 26, 2025, with WDFW press release at bottom.

Northern pikeminnow anglers will get 12 extra days to turn in fish at seven stations on the Columbia-Snake system, Sport-Reward Fishery managers announced today.

Season will be extended October 1-12 at the Cathlamet, Rainier, Ridgefield, Washougal and The Dalles Stations on the big river and Boyer and Swallows Park on its primary tributary.

Station hours will vary; check pikeminnow.org for more information. WDFW is also expected to have a press release on the news (see below)

It’s at least the third time in the last six years that the season for some stations has gone into October, following on extensions in 2020 and 2021, though 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. Specially tagged fish are worth $500.

Funding comes from the Bonneville Power Administration, and the season typically runs May 1-September 30 (this year saw three stations open in April).

Managers report that 132,255 pikeminnow that qualified for payment have been turned in in 2025 through September 21, with The Dalles Station leading the way with 25,306 of the fish.

This year’s top earner has made $130,760 so far, a payday that’s already the second highest in program history – which stretches back to the early 1990s – to last year’s $164,260.

THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

RIDGEFIELD – The 2025 Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery season has been extended through Oct. 12 at select registration stations. The reward program, funded by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), pays anglers to catch predatory northern pikeminnow, a native fish that consumes millions of juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake rivers each year.

Registration stations open through Oct. 12 include Cathlamet, Rainier, Ridgefield, Washougal, The Dalles, Boyer Park, and Swallows Park. All other stations will close after Sept. 30 as planned. Details about each station, including operating hours and locations, are available online.

“This extension gives anglers more opportunities to earn cash rewards during a time of year when catch rates are typically highest,” said Eric Winther, Pikeminnow Program Manager with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “Each fish harvested contributes to the protection and recovery of juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin.”

The extended season will also help the program reach its goal of removing 10-20% of the larger, predator sized northern pikeminnow in the Columbia and Snake rivers. Removing larger fish shifts the population toward smaller individuals, which eat fewer salmon and steelhead smolts.

Anglers are paid for each qualifying northern pikeminnow they catch, with payouts increasing as they catch more fish. Anglers earn $6 for the first 25 fish, $8 for fish 26 to 200, and $10 for every fish over 200. Anglers can also catch tagged northern pikeminnow worth up to $500 each.

Anglers must register each day they plan to fish, either at a registration station or using the Pikeminnow Registration mobile application, available on Apple and Android devices.

To qualify for a cash reward, northern pikeminnow must be at least nine inches long, and caught within program boundaries. Fish must be turned in fresh on the date indicated on their registration and will only be accepted at the station where the angler registered. Only fish personally caught by the registered angler are eligible for reward payment. A valid fishing license is required, and all state fishing regulations must be followed.

So far in 2025, anglers have turned in over 125,000 qualifying northern pikeminnow, a total expected to increase with 12 additional fishing days. The season’s top angler has earned $130,760 — the second-highest reward in the program’s 35-year history — by catching 13,000 fish.

The sport-reward fishery is part of a larger BPA-funded effort approved by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council to help mitigate the impacts of Columbia River dams on salmon and steelhead. The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission administers the program and partners with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and WDFW, which jointly manage registration, check stations, fish tagging, biological evaluation, and other research used to track program effectiveness.

For more information about the sport-reward fishery, including regulations, locations and maps, registration, and catch data, refer to pikeminnow.org or call the hotline at 800-858-9015. Additional information is available on WDFW’s website.