No July opening of salmon fishing on the Columbia River this year

Don’t plan to fish the Columbia River for salmon this July.

The Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife reminds anglers that the Columbia River, above and below Priest Rapids Dam, is closed to salmon fishing because of expected low returns of summer chinook and sockeye salmon.

Areas of the Columbia River above the dam typically open for salmon fishing around July 1.

The department announced the closure of the summer salmon fishery on the Columbia in April and issued an emergency rule change earlier this month on the closure of the salmon fisheries below Priest Rapids Dam.

Anglers fishing below Priest Rapids Dam can keep two hatchery steelhead daily through June 30. The daily limit goes to one in July.

This story was originally published June 28, 2019 at 6:14 PM.