Third weekend opening planned for Columbia River spring chinook fishery below Bonneville Dam

  OLYMPIA – For the third weekend in a row, a section of the lower Columbia River will reopen for two days of recreational spring chinook salmon fishing beginning Saturday, state fishery managers announced today. The initial spring chinook fishing period from Bonneville Dam downriver to Warrior Rock closed at midnight Wednesday, April 10, then …

WDFW and Corp work to restore vital salmon habitat on the Duckabash River

  OLYMPIA – Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are moving forward with a 38-acre estuary restoration project on Hood Canal. Estuaries in Puget Sound and Hood Canal are critical habitat for Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed chum and Chinook salmon, a key prey of southern resident killer …

Dam “Spill” Expected to Boost Columbia River Salmon and Benefit Orcas

  More spring Chinook may return as adult salmon in a few years thanks to a new agreement negotiated by federal agencies, states, and tribes to test an innovative dam operation plan. Some estimates indicate that the new operation may produce an additional 10,000–60,000 adult spring Chinook per year. While adult salmon returns will also …

Another brief opening planned for Columbia River spring chinook fishery below Bonneville Dam

Photo courtesy of Columbia River Fishing Guide Buddy Dupell   OLYMPIA – A section of the lower Columbia River will again reopen for two days of recreational spring chinook salmon fishing beginning Saturday, April 20, state fishery managers announced today. The initial spring chinook fishing period from Bonneville Dam downriver to Warrior Rock closed at …

ODFW Commission adopts Pacific halibut and ocean salmon regulations

  SALEM, Ore.—The Commission adopted Pacific halibut and ocean salmon regulations at a meeting today in St Helens. Catch limits set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission are 25 percent higher this year. Under 2019 regulations, the Columbia River Subarea all-depth fishery will change from every Thursday, Friday and Sunday to specific dates. The Central …

ODFW Fish Screening Task Force meets in Salem April 19th

  SALEM, Ore. – Oregon’s Fish Screening Task Force will meet Friday, April 19, at ODFW Headquarters in Salem, 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE. The meeting will be held from 9am to 5pm, and is open to the public. The agenda includes updates on the Fish Screening Program, project development and funding, an overview of project …

WDFW announces razor clam dates ahead of Long Beach Razor Clam Festival; Asks beachgoers to avoid snowy plovers

  OLYMPIA – Razor clam diggers can return to various ocean beaches for a three-day opening beginning Saturday, April 20 and extending through Earth Day, April 22. State shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the dig on morning low tides after marine toxin tests showed the clams are safe …

Lake Roosevelt white sturgeon fishery

  WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE   Action: Opens a harvest fishery for white sturgeon in Lake Roosevelt. Effective date: Open 7 days per week beginning June 15, 2019 until further notice. Species affected: White sturgeon Location: From Grand Coulee Dam to China Bend Boat Ramp (including the Spokane River from Highway 25 Bridge upstream to 400′ below Little Falls …

Columbia River John Day Pool to close for sturgeon retention

Sturgeon photo courtesy of Columbia River Fishing Adventures     WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE   Action: Anglers must release all sturgeon. Effective dates: 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, April 3, 2019 Species affected: White sturgeon Locations: The Columbia River from John Day Dam to McNary Dam. Reason for action: Fishing effort picked up over this past weekend resulting in catches much higher than …

States set dates for sturgeon retention on the Lower Columbia River

Photo Courtesy of Columbia River Fishing Adventures   Sturgeon anglers will get to keep fish in the Columbia River estuary for 11 days, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from May 13 to June 5. Oregon and Washington biologists set the year’s first retention season Thursday. All retention fishing will close at 2 p.m. on open …