Washington opens the Columbia River to sockeye fishing

Oregon and Washington fishery management officials are closing the summer Chinook season four days early below Bonneville Dam because of unexpectedly low numbers of summer returns.

The Joint Staff Report released by the Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife on June 28 says the sockeye run will be more than twice the predicted number, while the summer Chinook run is falling short of the forecasts.

July 1 marked the start of the sockeye season on the Columbia River, the result of a high return of fish at Bonneville Dam. Sockeye fishing will be allowed from the Astoria-Megler bridge upriver to the Oregon/Washington border through July 31.

Washington officials opened sockeye angling from the U.S. 395 bridge in Pasco upstream to Chief Joseph Dam.

From the Washington-Oregon border upstream to Priest Rapids Dam, retention of adult summer Chinook opened June 16 and is scheduled to continue through July 31. Although the revised summer Chinook allocation for Bonneville to Priest Rapids Dam is low, current catch rates indicate the fishery can remain open.

Fishing for hatchery summer steelhead also will remain open in the lower river. Sockeye do not have to be fin-clipped, but all sizes are considered adults within the two-fish daily salmon/steelhead limit.

The daily adult bag limit between McNary and Priest Rapids Dam remains at two adult fish including sockeye and clipped Chinook. All sockeye are considered adults and must be recorded as adults on the combined angling tag. All other permanent regulations apply, including bag limits for hatchery jack Chinook.