Columbia River Zone News: States OK two more days of Chinook fishing on lower Columbia
Managers forecast excellent fall salmon seasons on Columbia
States set June sturgeon seasons, adopt new sanctuary


New salmon, steelhead, sturgeon endorsement:
Beginning Jan. 1, 2014 anglers fishing for salmon, steelhead, or sturgeon in the Columbia River and its tributaries will be required to have a Columbia River Basin endorsement. See a map of the Basin and get more information.

SALMON, STEELHEAD, and SHAD
Permanent regulations apply unless noted otherwise. See 2014 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.

Spring (January 1 through June 15 timeframe)

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Buoy 10 upstream to I-5 Bridge
Regulations modified as follows:
- Closed to angling for Chinook, steelhead, and shad except for the following open days:

- Open for adipose fin-clipped Chinook, adipose fin-clipped steelhead, and shad on Friday May 9 and Saturday May 10, 2014 only.

- Daily bag limit is 2 adult salmon/steelhead in combination, of which only 1 may be an adult Chinook. Chinook adults are > 24 inches and steelhead > 20 inches. All sockeye must be released.

- Up to 5 adipose fin-clipped jacks may be retained in addition to the adult bag limit.


COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, I-5 Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam Regulations modified as follows:
- Currently closed to angling for Chinook, steelhead, and shad except for the following open days and areas:

- Open for adipose fin-clipped Chinook, adipose fin-clipped steelhead, and shad on Friday May 9 and Saturday May 10, 2014 only.

- Open area for boat and bank angling is from the I-5 Bridge upstream to Rooster Rock. In addition, BANK ANGLING ONLY is open from Rooster Rock upstream to Bonneville Dam. Legal Rooster Rock boundary defined as a line projected from Rooster Rock on the Oregon shore true north to the Washington shore.

- Daily bag limit is 2 adult salmon/steelhead in combination, of which only 1 may be an adult Chinook. Chinook adults are > 24 inches and steelhead > 20 inches. All sockeye must be released.

- Up to 5 adipose fin-clipped jacks may be retained in addition to the adult bag limit.


COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Bonneville Dam upstream to Oregon/Washington border
Effective March 16 - May 9, 2014, regulations modified as follows:
- Open for adipose fin-clipped Chinook and adipose fin-clipped steelhead 7 days per week from Tower Island Power lines (located approximately 6 miles downstream from The Dalles Dam) upstream to Oregon/Washington border for boat and bank, plus BANK ANGLING ONLY from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Tower Island Power lines.

- Daily bag limit is 2 adult salmon/steelhead in combination, of which only 1 may be an adult Chinook. Chinook adults are > 24 inches and steelhead > 20 inches.

- Up to 5 adipose fin-clipped jacks may be retained in addition to the adult bag limit.


SELECT AREA RECREATIONAL FISHERIES (Youngs Bay, Blind Slough, Knappa Slough)
Effective March 1 - June 15, 2014:
- The salmonid daily bag limit in Select Areas will be the same as the mainstem Columbia River below Bonneville Dam on the days when the mainstem Columbia River recreational fishery below Bonneville Dam is open for Chinook retention.

- The salmonid daily bag limit in Select Areas will revert to permanent regulations when the mainstem Columbia River below Bonneville Dam is closed to Chinook retention.


Summary of 2014 summer and fall salmon regulations for the Columbia River
Summer Seasons*
- Summer Chinook and Sockeye
- Retention of sockeye and adipose fin-clipped adult summer Chinook (longer than 24-inches) allowed:

- June 16 - 30 from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam.
- June 16 - July 31 from Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border.


- Retention of adipose fin-clipped jack summer Chinook (between 12 and 24-inches long) and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed June 16 - July 31 from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the OR/WA border.

- The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids and five jacks. All sockeye are considered adults in the daily limit.

- All other permanent rules apply.

Fall Seasons*

- Buoy 10

- Area definition: From the Buoy 10 line upstream to a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red buoy #44 to red marker #2 at Tongue Point on the Oregon shore.

- August 1 - December 31: Retention of adipose fin-clipped adult coho (16-inches or longer) and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed.

- August 1 - 29: Retention of adult Chinook (24-inches or longer, fin-clipped or not) is allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids, only one of which may be a Chinook.

- August 30 - September 1: Retention of adipose or left-ventral fin-clipped adult Chinook is allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids, only one of which may be a Chinook.

- September 2 - 30: Retention of Chinook is prohibited but the daily bag limit increases to three adult salmonids, of which no more than two may be adipose fin-clipped steelhead.

- October 1 - December 31: Retention of adult Chinook is allowed (fin-clipped or not). The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids.

- Jacks may not be retained between August 1 and September 30 under permanent rules.

- All other permanent rules apply.

Lower Columbia - Tongue Point/Rocky Point upstream to Warrior Rock/Bachelor Island

Area definition: From a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red buoy #44 to the red marker #2 at Tongue Point on the Oregon shore upstream to a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore through red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island.

- August 1 - December 31: Retention of adipose fin-clipped adult coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed.

- August 1 - September 6: Retention of adult Chinook (longer than 24-inches, fin-clipped or not) is allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids, only one of which may be a Chinook.

- September 7 - 14: Retention of adipose fin-clipped adult Chinook is allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids, only one of which may be a Chinook.

- September 15 - 30: Retention of Chinook is prohibited. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids.

- October 1 - December 31: Retention of adult Chinook is allowed (fin-clipped or not). The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids.

- Each legal angler aboard a vessel may continue to deploy angling gear until the daily adult salmonid bag limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved.

- All other permanent rules apply, including bag limits for jacks.

Lower Columbia - Warrior Rock/Bachelor Isl. upstream to Steamboat Landing/Marker #50
Area definition: From a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore through red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island upstream to a line projected from the most downstream point on the Steamboat Landing dock on the Washington shore through navigation light #50 to the Oregon shore. Fishing from the Steamboat Landing dock is considered within the fishing area.

- August 1 - December 31: Retention of adult Chinook (fin-clipped or not), adipose fin-clipped adult coho, and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed. The daily bag limit is two adult salmonids.

- Each legal angler aboard a vessel may continue to deploy angling gear until the daily adult salmonid bag limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved.

- All other permanent rules apply, including bag limits for jacks.


Lower Columbia - Steamboat Landing/Marker #50 upstream to Bonneville Dam
Area definition: From a line projected from the most downstream point on the Steamboat Landing dock on the Washington shore through navigation light #50 to the Oregon shore upstream to Bonneville Dam.

- August 1 - December 31: Retention of adult Chinook (fin-clipped or not), adipose fin-clipped adult coho, and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed. The daily bag limit is three adult salmonids, of which no more than two may be adipose fin-clipped coho or adipose fin-clipped steelhead (in any combination).

- Each legal angler aboard a vessel may continue to deploy angling gear until the daily adult salmonid bag limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved.

- All other permanent rules apply, including bag limits for jacks.


Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border (upstream of McNary Dam)

- August 1 - December 31: Retention of adult Chinook (fin-clipped or not), adult coho, and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed. The daily bag limit is three adult salmonids, of which no more than two may be adipose fin-clipped coho or adipose fin-clipped steelhead (in any combination).

- All coho retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge must be adipose fin-clipped.

- Each legal angler aboard a vessel may continue to deploy angling gear until the daily adult salmonid bag limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved.

- All other permanent rules apply, including bag limits for jacks.


* Seasons may be subject to in-season modification.


STURGEON

Permanent regulations apply unless noted otherwise. See 2014 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.

- The annual bag limit is two legal white sturgeon total for all zones combined statewide.

- The retention of green sturgeon is prohibited at all times.

- Anglers are limited to the use of one single-point barbless hook while angling for white sturgeon.

- It is unlawful to use lamprey for bait.

- In all areas, catch-and-release sturgeon angling is allowed during non-retention periods, unless otherwise indicated.


The lower Willamette River (including Multnomah Channel and the Gilbert River) sturgeon regulation updates can be found under the Willamette Zone.


COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam (mainstem Columbia River from Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam, including Youngs Bay; and all adjacent Washington tributaries)

- Retention of white sturgeon is prohibited in 2014.

COLUMBIA RIVER RESERVOIRS, between Bonneville Dam and McNary Dam

Sturgeon creel sampling summaries and catch estimates from Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day reservoirs can be found on the WDFW's Southwest Washington Fishing Reports web page.

Bonneville Reservoir (Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam)

Closed to retention except during the following:

- Effective Friday June 13, 2014 - Saturday June 14, 2014 and Friday June 20, 2014 - Saturday June 21, 2014, this section of the Columbia River will be open to retention of white sturgeon. The daily bag limit will be one sturgeon between 38 - 54 inches fork length.

- Catch and release angling may continue during retention closures, except for the following:

- All angling for sturgeon, including catch and release, will be prohibited from May 1, 2014 - July 31, 2014 from the The Dalles Dam downstream 1.8 miles to a line from the east (upstream) dock of the boat ramp at the Port of The Dalles on the Oregon side of the Columbia perpendicular across the Columbia to a marker on the Washington shore.


The Dalles Reservoir (The Dalles Dam upstream to John Day Dam)

- Effective January 1, 2014 until the guideline is met; this section of the Columbia River is open to retention of white sturgeon seven days per week. The daily bag limit will be one sturgeon between 43 - 54 inches fork length.

John Day Reservoir (John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam)

- Effective January 1, 2014 until the guideline is met; this section of the Columbia River is open to retention of white sturgeon seven days per week. The daily bag limit will be one sturgeon between 43 - 54 inches fork length.


McNary Dam upstream to the Oregon/Washington Border

Permanent regulations apply. Including the following:
- Effective January 1 - 31 and August 1 - December 31, retention of white sturgeon is prohibited in this section of the Columbia River.

- Effective February 1 - July 31, this section of the Columbia River is open to retention of white sturgeon seven days per week. The daily bag limit is one sturgeon between 43 - 54 inches fork length.