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Recreational Fishing Rules Change on the Columbia River Due to Low Numbers of Salmon, Steelhead by Staff King 5 News, September 26, 2019

The river will close for recreational fishing from the Bonneville Dam upstream to Highway 395 in Pasco.

WASHINGTON -- Most of the Columbia River will close to all recreational salmon and steelhead fishing beginning Thursday, Sept. 26, state fishery managers have announced.

The closure comes at the tail end of a challenging year on the Columbia that saw low returns for many salmon and steelhead runs, according to Bill Tweit, the special assistant with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

"Despite record low numbers of summer steelhead, and poor ocean conditions, we have worked hard to offer meaningful fall Chinook fisheries in the Columbia, both above and below Bonneville," Tweit said. "Offering those opportunities while meeting conservation guidelines is always a difficult balancing act, and one that we take very seriously."

Despite those challenges, fishery managers said that they still expect to meet conservation goals laid out at the beginning of the year.

Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon will also have to reduce the Columbia River commercial harvest to account for the number of upriver bright Chinook caught during the fall season.

The river will close for recreational fishing from the Bonneville Dam upstream to Highway 395 in Pasco.

Buoy 10, located at the mouth of the Columbia River, will remain open to recreational anglers for coho retention.

The fishing rule change is in effect from now until Dec. 31.

Related Pages:
The Grim Outlook for Columbia Basin Salmon and Steelhead by Yancy Lind, Lewiston Tribune, 9/18/19
With A-Run Steelhead Not Living Up to Predictions, Fish Managers Downgrade Forecast by Eric Barker, Lewiston Tribune, 8/31/19