Spring Chinook Season Extended Through April 10 On Columbia River

Today the States of Washington and Oregon DFW staff held a Joint State hearing to consider an extension of the spring chinook fishery in the lower Columbia River which was scheduled to close on April 6.  They extended the fishery through April 10, giving early notice and time for friends and families time to plan a few extra days of fishing.  Enjoy!

 

According to the staff report, the estimated Chinook catch through Sunday March 26 is 53 kept adult fish and 6 released (~25 upriver mortalities) from 8,305 angler trips compared to an expectation of 1,575 kept (1,150 upriver mortalities) from 33,900 angler trips based on preseason modeling.  The extreme high water conditions, combined with turbidity and lower than normal river temperatures are expected to continue into next week and potentially beyond.   

 

In addition to extending the fishery, both agencies committed to using real time data and nimble reaction times to provide further reopeners.  Tucker Jones noted that fisheries in April can be very dynamic and further openings were likely to be in "chunks". (which is a very technical term for days/week).  They hope to open fisheries, review catch rates and run updates to determine opportunities for further fisheries.