States give Columbia River salmon anglers four more days, May 15

ODFW release – CLACKAMAS, Ore. – The departments of fish and wildlife from Oregon and Washington today set four more days of recreational salmon and steelhead fishing on the Columbia River. The fisheries will take place Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17 and on Wednesday May 20. Downstream of Bonneville Dam, the open area is from the Warrior Rock/Bachelor Island line upstream to Beacon Rock (boat and bank), and bank angling only from Beacon Rock to the Bonneville Dam deadline. The bag limit is two adult salmonids (Chinook, sockeye, or steelhead) per day, but only one may be a Chinook. Retained Chinook and steelhead must be hatchery fish and all sockeye are considered adults. Upstream of Bonneville Dam, bank angling is allowed upstream to the Tower Island powerlines, while both boat and bank angling is open from Tower Island upstream to the Oregon/Washington border. The bag limit is two adult hatchery salmonids (Chinook or steelhead only) per day, but only one may be a Chinook. Anglers are reminded that retention of adult spring Chinook remains closed downstream of Warrior Rock, but retention of hatchery steelhead, sockeye, and jack Chinook is scheduled to open on May 16 from the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to the I-5 Bridge. Shad angling and retention opens throughout the lower Columbia downstream of Bonneville Dam on May 16. The fishery managers made a plea to anglers to stay close to home, observe social-distancing, and maintain sanitary conditions.