Public discussion for Columbia River summer and fall salmon seasons took place in March and early April during a series of Pacific Fishery Management Council meetings.  The proposed seasons must still be approved by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission at its May 15 meeting.

Based on preseason forecasts, anglers can expect excellent coho fishing and good opportunities for summer and fall chinook.  Under the proposed regulations, anglers at the popular Buoy 10 fishery will be able to keep up to three hatchery coho salmon after September 1 based on the largest predicted coho return to the Columbia River since 2001.  Managers also expect returns of summer and fall chinook to be better than the last few years.  In addition, the predicted return of 184,000 sockeye salmon is large enough for managers to allow the retention of sockeye concurrent with summer steelhead fisheries.

Details for the summer and fall mainstem Columbia River recreational fisheries include:

Buoy 10 upstream to Tongue Point

• Steelhead and coho salmon: open to adipose fin-clipped steelhead and adipose fin-clipped adult coho (> 16 inches) August 1 to December 31
• Fall chinook: open to chinook (fin-clipped or not) August 1-31 with a combined daily bag limit of  two adult salmon or steelhead in combination, of which only one may be a chinook.  During September 1 - December 31, retention of chinook is prohibited but the combined daily adult bag limit may include up to three adipose fin-clipped coho. 

Tongue Point upstream to Bonneville Dam

• Summer chinook: open to adult chinook (fin-clipped or not) from June 22 – July 5. Open to jack chinook (fin-clipped or not) from June 16 – July 31.  The combined daily bag limit is two adults and five jacks.
• Coho salmon: open to adipose fin-clipped adult coho (> 16 inches) August 1 to December 31
• Fall chinook: open to adult chinook and jacks (fin-clipped or not) during August 1 – September 13 from the Tongue/Rocky Point line upstream to a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse (OR) through red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island (WA).  From this line upstream to Bonneville Dam, retention of chinook adults and jacks is allowed August 1 – December 31.  In open areas/periods, the combined daily bag limit is two adults (only one of which may be a chinook) and five jacks.

Mainstem Columbia River above Bonneville Dam

• Coho: open August 1 – December 31 (all coho retained downriver of Hood River Bridge must be adipose fin-clipped)
• Summer chinook: open to chinook adults (fin-clipped or not) July 1-31, and to chinook jacks (fin-clipped or not) June 16 – July 31
• Fall chinook: open to chinook (fin-clipped or not) August 1 – December 31
• Combined daily bag limit is two adults and five jacks.

Sockeye Salmon

• Tongue Point to Oregon/Washington border: open concurrent with steelhead season through July 31
• All sockeye are considered adults and are included in the adult portion of the daily bag limit.

As in all Columbia River salmon seasons, anglers should be aware that seasons are managed on harvest quotas or Endangered Species Act limits and therefore may be modified or closed on very short notice.  Anglers are advised to keep up to date with the latest regulations by going to ODFW’s web site or by calling (503) 947-6000.