[ODFW-News] Columbia River reopens to chinook angling

[ODFW News]

For Immediate Release Thursday, June 2, 2005
 
Columbia River reopens to chinook angling
 
CLACKAMAS - The states of Oregon and Washington today decided to reopen
the mainstem Columbia River to spring chinook angling Saturday, June 4,
due to improved fish counts at Bonneville Dam and the effects of
conservative decisions earlier this spring. 
 
Anglers may fish for adipose fin-clipped spring chinook and adipose
fin-clipped steelhead from the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line in the
Columbia River estuary upstream to the Oregon-Washington border. The
season is expected to stay open through July 31, at which time the fall
chinook season will begin as published in the 2005 Oregon Sport Fishing
Regulations pamphlet. However, mid-season adjustments may occur around
July 1 in response to new run-size projections.
 
Steve Williams, of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said he
made a commitment to continually review the Columbia River fisheries and
to reopen them if the run size improved sufficiently to allow additional
harvest. Oregon and Washington state biologists now estimate the
"upriver" portion of the Columbia River spring chinook run to be 95,000
fish, which is up from a low mid-season estimate of 78,800 in early May.

 
Fish managers set Columbia River fishing seasons based on the number of
fish expected to return from the ocean and the allowable impact to wild
salmon and steelhead stocks listed under the federal Endangered Species
Act. "Impacts" include direct and unintended mortalities associated with
handling and releasing wild fish. The allowed non-Indian impacts for
ESA-listed Snake River spring/summer chinook and Upper Columbia River
spring chinook are 2 percent for runs greater than 82,000, but drops to
1.5 percent for runs less than 82,000. 
The following rules were decided Thursday:
 
* For Oregon anglers, from the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line in the
Columbia River upstream to the Oregon-Washington border, retention of
adipose fin-clipped chinook is allowed effective 12:01 a.m., Saturday,
June 4, through 11:59 p.m., Sunday, July 31. The fall salmon season
begins Aug. 1 under permanent rule. 
* From the Interstate 5 Bridge upstream to the Oregon-Washington border,
retention of adipose fin-clipped steelhead is allowed 12:01 a.m., June
4, through 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, June 15. On June 16, the steelhead
season in the Columbia opens under permanent rules published in the
regulations pamphlets. Steelhead angling is currently open below the I-5
Bridge under permanent rule. 
* Permanent rules related to daily bag limits continue to apply. Oregon
anglers may retain two adult salmon or steelhead per day and five jacks.

 
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