New fishing opportunity. Some Columbia sturgeon will be catch-and-keep

Anglers can catch and keep hatchery sturgeon in the Wanapum and Priest Rapids reservoirs on the Columbia River starting April 29.

Several thousand juvenile sturgeon were released into the upper Columbia River in the early 2000s. Those fish now are large enough to keep, according to the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“Not only does this fishery provide a great opportunity for anglers, but it’s also helping our efforts to recover white sturgeon populations by reducing their interactions with these hatchery fish,” said Chad Jackson, a regional fish manager for the department.

From April 29 to Sept. 1, anglers can retain two hatchery sturgeon daily from 38 to 72 inches long to the fork in their tail caught in the two reservoirs.

The sturgeon caught in the reservoirs do not count toward the angler’s annual limit for sturgeon, and anglers do not have to record the fish on their catch record cards.

Anglers can use two poles if they buy a two-pole endorsement.

This story was originally published April 7, 2018 at 3:07 PM with the headline "New fishing opportunity. Some Columbia sturgeon will be catch-and-keep."