Upper Columbia Opening For Hatchery Kings Too

WDFW announced this afternoon that much of the Upper Columbia will open for hatchery summer king retention, following on yesterday’s news that the big river below Tri-Cities would see five days of fishing for the surging stock.

Per an agency press release out this afternoon, July 4 marks when clipped Chinook can be kept from the Hanford Reach upstream to Wells Dam, as well as that part of the Brewster Pool from the Highway 173 bridge near Brewster up to Foster Creek near Bridgeport.

The lower Brewster Pool opens July 16 due to late-returning ESA-listed spring Chinook still in the area early in the month.

July 16 also marks when portions of the lower Entiat and lower Chelan Rivers will open for kings.

The unexpected opportunity to keep the prized summer salmon comes thanks to a larger run than forecast. Earlier this week the preseason prediction of 38,000 was upgraded to 65,000 back to the mouth of the Columbia after a strong showing at Bonneville.

It’s unclear if that’s due to improved ocean conditions, reduced northern fishery interceptions or what.

“The run is tracking above what we expected this year, which is great news, but we’re still carefully monitoring these fisheries to ensure we’re achieving our conservation goals for all the species that share the river,” said WDFW’s Ryan Lothrop in a press release.  

While steelhead retention remains closed below Highway 395 in Tri-Cities due to potential impacts on ESA-listed Idaho sockeye, red salmon are available above I-182, and last week saw catches of 1.6 a boat, or seven hours a fish in the Hanford Reach.

Sockeye passage has been strong further down the Columbia, but a technical advisory committee hasn’t upgraded the run from the preseason forecast of 246,000-plus.

Per WDFW, here are the regs for the various sections of the Columbia:

  From the Interstate-182 bridge to Priest Rapids Dam: July 4 through July 31, 2020. Daily limit 6 salmon. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Minimum size 12”. Release wild adult Chinook and coho.  

·       From Priest Rapids Dam to Rock Island Dam: July 4 through Aug. 31, 2020. Daily limit 6 salmon. Up to 2 may be adult hatchery Chinook and up to 2 may be sockeye. Minimum size 12”. Release wild adult Chinook and coho. 

·       From Rock Island Dam to Wells Dam: July 4 through Oct. 15, 2020. Daily limit 6 salmon. Up to 2 may be adult hatchery Chinook and up to 2 may be sockeye. Minimum size 12”. Release wild adult Chinook and coho. 

·       From Wells Dam to the Highway 173 Bridge at Brewster: July 16 through Sept. 15, 2020. Daily limit 6 salmon. Up to 2 may be adult hatchery Chinook and up to 2 may be sockeye. Minimum size 12”. Release wild adult Chinook and coho. 

·       From the Highway 173 Bridge at Brewster to the rock jetty at the upstream shoreline of Foster Creek (Douglas County side): July 4 through Oct. 15, 2020. Daily limit 6 salmon. Up to 2 may be adult hatchery Chinook and up to 2 may be sockeye. Minimum size 12”. Release wild adult Chinook and coho. 

Barbless hooks are required when fishing for salmon downstream of the Washington/Oregon border; barbed hooks are permitted above the border. See all rules and regulations in the 2020-21 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations.