Invasive Northern Pike Threaten Columbia River salmon and steelhead stocks.

  Northern pike are some of the most troubling aquatic invasive species in the Northwest. So far, they haven’t made it past Washington’s Lake Roosevelt. Two dams stand in their way. And lots of people trying to stop them. If the fish make it past Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River, they could greatly harm imperiled salmon downstream. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

As many as 200 sturgeon stranded in Sturgeon Lake on Sauvie Island

  Portland Oregon- Piles of Sturgeon remain trapped in the low water mudflats of Sturgeon Lake. Reports are coming out that ODFW has been using a pump to try to raise water levels in a pond that formed off the main body of water at Sturgeon Lake, trapping hundreds of fish. As many as 200 …

Columbia River Spring Chinook season constrained due to low projections

  VANCOUVER, Wash. – Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon today approved a sports fishery, for spring chinook salmon on the Columbia River that reflects a significant reduction in the number of fish available for harvest this year. According to preseason projections, about 99,300 upriver spring chinook will reach the Columbia this year, down 14 …

Ericksen save-the-whales bill puts emphasis on new salmon hatcheries

  OLYMPIA – A proposal from state Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, would leverage private investment in salmon hatcheries to help restore declining orca populations on Puget Sound. Under Senate Bill 5824, the first new hatchery would go to Bellingham, testing the Alaska model for hatchery management in Washington state. In Alaska, hatcheries are largely self-funded …