CLACKAMAS, Ore.—Chinook salmon retention on the Columbia River from the Buoy 10 line upstream to the western (downstream) end of Puget Island will close effective 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 30.
State fishery managers from Oregon and Washington announced the decision today after evaluating Chinook catches and catch rates since the non-mark-selective fishery began Aug. 25. Chinook catches were more than double what was expected and have used up the lower river natural tule Chinook impacts available for the Chinook-directed fishery. This ESA-listed stock is managed under strict harvest guidelines and a portion of the allowed impacts are allocated to the lower Columbia River recreational fisheries (including sub-allocations to the Buoy 10, middle river, and Warrior Rock to Bonneville areas).
Hatchery coho retention remains open in the Buoy 10 fishery with a daily adult bag limit of two hatchery coho, which increases to three hatchery coho on Sept. 8. Retention of steelhead in the Buoy 10 fishery remains closed until Nov. 1.
“The forecast is for 684,000 coho to return to the Columbia this year, so we encourage anglers to focus their effort and attention on them and minimize their handling of Chinook so that we can keep the coho season open as currently planned,” said Tucker Jones, ODFW Ocean Salmon and Columbia River Program Manager.
Through Aug. 28, an estimated 26,000 Chinook and 5,000 hatchery coho were kept from 67,800 angler trips in the Buoy 10 fishery. Released estimates include 20,300 Chinook, 3,200 coho, and 70 steelhead. Through Aug. 28, there have been 29,800 total Chinook mortalities compared to the preseason expectation of 32,850 for the full season. Additional Chinook release mortalities will continue to accrue during the coho fishery.
For the latest on Columbia River regulations, always visit https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/columbia-zone
For tips on identifying coho vs Chinook salmon, visit https://myodfw.com/articles/it-coho-or-chinook