Photo courtesy of Aarron Schmidt of Schmidtys Guide Service
CLACKAMAS, Ore.—Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington added additional Chinook fishing opportunity for the popular Buoy 10 fishery on the Columbia River during a joint-state hearing today.
The Buoy 10 season has been adjusted as follows and now includes retention of any Chinook along with hatchery coho.
- Season: Sept. 8-Dec. 31
- Area: Mainstem Columbia River from the Buoy 10 line upstream to the west Puget Island line
- Species: Chinook and hatchery coho
- Daily adult bag limit: Three salmon, of which only one may be a Chinook. All other relevant previously adopted and permanent regulations are in effect.
Passage of adult fall Chinook at Bonneville Dam was 251,799 adult-sized fish as of Sept. 6, the third highest cumulative count in the last 10 years. An initial in-season run update may be available on Sept. 11. The preseason forecast was for 554,000 adult fall Chinook to the mouth of the Columbia River with 374,000 passing Bonneville Dam.
Chinook handle in the Buoy 10 fishery is expected to decline over the remainder of the year so there is little risk of this fishery going over impact limits to ESA-listed Chinook stocks or not meeting other management guidelines despite the added opportunity.
Anglers were restricted to adipose fin-clipped Chinook only during the initial Chinook-retention period for the 2023 Buoy 10 fishery (Aug. 1-Sept. 4; with a few closed days during the season). The more restrictive retention regulations limited impacts to ESA-listed stocks and allowed the fishery to remain open under its planned season structure, avoiding an early emergency closure like the one that occurred last year.
Fishery managers are hopeful that recreational Chinook fisheries upstream of west Puget Island will continue through their original planned dates. More opportunity may be added in these areas after a run-update if there are sufficient ESA limits to allow it.
Visit the Recreation Report / Fishing Report for the Columbia Zone and click Regulation Updates to see salmon fishing regulations https://myodfw.com/recreation-
