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 …

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 …

Fisheries manager meet March 26th-28th to discuss salmon fisheries in sections of Columbia and Snake rivers

  OLYMPIA – Anglers have three opportunities in March to meet with state fishery managers to talk about salmon fisheries in the mid- and upper Columbia River and lower Snake River before this year’s seasons are set. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has scheduled three public meetings to discuss pre-season salmon forecasts …

Charter boat captains convicted for unlawful recreational fishing and waste of fish and wildlife

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife LONG BEACH – The courtroom testimony of more than 25 witnesses and work by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Police Officers and local prosecutors resulted in two charter boat convictions last Thursday, Feb. 28. After an eight-day trial in a Pacific County District Courtroom, David Gudgell 58, …

Commission approves modifications to its Columbia River salmon fishery policy

  SPOKANE – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has agreed to allow the use of gillnets during the fall salmon fishery on the lower Columbia River while state fishery managers work with their Oregon counterparts to develop a joint long-term policy for shared waters. The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to …

WDFW Closes Easton Ponds to all fishing

  WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE Action: Temporarily close Easton Ponds 1 and 2 in Kittitas County to all fishing. Effective date: March 1 through April 26, 2019. Species affected: All species Location: Easton Gravel Pit Ponds 1 and 2 adjacent to the Interstate 90 Easton Exit 71 in Kittitas County. Reason for action: The Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project managers (Yakama …

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 …