ODFW News Release
For Immediate Release
May 6, 2002

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lower Columbia River Sport Fishery Extended



PORTLAND — The lower Columbia River spring chinook fishery will stay open through May 15, Washington and Oregon managers decided today after reviewing the run size.

The lower Columbia River fishery from the mouth to Bonneville Dam continues for angling for adipose fin-clipped hatchery spring chinook, adipose fin-clipped hatchery steelhead, and shad through Wednesday, May 15.

Biologists upgraded the Columbia River spring chinook run size to 309,000 from last week’s estimate of 293,000 fish. The non-Indian mainstem Columbia fisheries are managed to limit unintended mortalities associated with the release of wild spring chinook to 1.7 percent of the total wild run. The wild fish are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Managers estimate the allowed impact will approach the 1.7 percent limit by the end of fishing May 15.

The mainstem Columbia River from Tower Island in upper Bonneville Pool upstream to McNary Dam is also open for adipose fin-clipped spring chinook, adipose fin-clipped steelhead, and shad through May 15. Managers will meet again Monday, May 13 to review the spring chinook run and decide if the fishery above Bonneville Dam can be extended beyond May 15.

Beginning May 16, the lower Columbia will close to angling for adult chinook salmon. However, angling for adipose fin-clipped steelhead and adipose fin-clipped jack chinook salmon opens May 16 below the Interstate 5 bridge and June 16 above the Interstate 5 bridge. Angling for shad re-opens May 16, and angling for fall chinook and adipose fin-clipped coho opens Aug. 1.

No changes were made to any fisheries in the Columbia River tributaries.



###

News Releases | ODFW Home Page

Hmmm, maybe I won't be heading for Drano afterall!

It gets better ...
NEWS RELEASE
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

May 7, 2002
Contact: Craig Burley, (360) 696-6211
or Cindy Le Fleur, (360) 906-6708

Columbia River spring chinook season lengthened;
limits increased on two tributaries

OLYMPIA – Sport fishing for hatchery spring chinook has been extended through May 15 on the lower Columbia River, and daily bag limits will be raised beginning Thursday (May 9) to four fish on the Wind River and Drano Lake, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has announced.

Both changes result from updated projections of the upriver spring chinook run, which has returned later than usual this year. Initially, scientists had forecast a return of 333,700 fish– the second largest on record. The current projection is for a run of 309,000 fish.

The mainstem Columbia River sport fishery was closed for six days from April 29 to May 4, based on earlier in-season projections, but now will continue as anticipated prior to the season.

Continued high run counts at Bonneville Dam, cumulatively tallied at 200,500 through yesterday, allow fishing to be extended for an extra week on the river from Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam. Fishing for hatchery steelhead and shad also remains open.

The daily limit on the lower Columbia is six hatchery (adipose-fin clipped ) chinook, of which only two may be adults, with a minimum size of 12 inches. The daily limit for trout is two fish, with a minimum size of 12 inches. Wild steelhead and wild cutthroat must be released.

Meanwhile, the strengthening spring chinook run also means an increase beginning Thursday in Wind River and Drano Lake daily bag limits for salmon and hatchery steelhead to four fish, of which no more than two may be hatchery steelhead.

That change, effective through June 30, was made after in-season monitoring of the run indicated large numbers of fish were returning to the Carson and Little White Salmon national fish hatcheries.

Beginning May 16, fishing regulations will revert to permanent rules. Anglers should consult the 2002/2003 "Fishing in Washington" sport fishing rules pamphlet for further information.

Return to WDFW Home Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Find a bug or error in the system? Let us know about it!
© 2002 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
E-mail <webmaster@dfw.wa.gov>


Does this mean JimB will have to change the rules for his contest?