From March 1 through April 6, fishermen in the Columbia River will have the opportunity to continue pursuing hatchery spring chinook salmon beneath Bonneville Dam.
Sport fishing for hatchery salmon and steelhead is now permitted through March 31; however, management in Oregon and Washington decided on Wednesday to move the date to March 1 below the dam.
Fishing from Bonneville will be permitted from April 1–26, subject to the same rules.
The new daily bag limit in both regions will be two hatchery salmon or steelhead, but only one chinook may be caught.
Similar to previous years, by mid-May, the strength of the spring salmon run will be evaluated, and more sport fishing may be permitted.
The Willamette River’s spring salmon fishing, which is planned to run for two hatchery fish per day with two poles per angler below Willamette Falls throughout the spring season, was not mentioned on Wednesday.
The managers cautioned about poor snowpacks and possibly extraordinary low-water conditions in the Columbia as they wrapped up their conference.
Changes to in-season regulations would be necessary as a result of improved fishing in clearer water and consequently increased catch rates.
–Bill Monroe for OregonLive/The Oregonian
