Sturgeon retention closing in John Day pool

Sturgeon retention in the John Day pool of the Columbia River Gorge is closed for the year beginning Saturday.

Washington and Oregon officials adopted the closure on Wednesday because the catch guideline of 500 sturgeon is expected to be reached. The catch through June 23 was 432 sturgeon.

Half of the catch has occurred in June. A year ago, the John Day pool guideline filled on May 20.

Catch-and-release fishing for sturgeon continues in the John Day pool except for the 1.5 miles from McNary Dam to the Interstate 82 bridge through July 31. That stretch has a spring spawning sanctuary.

Bonneville pool also is closed to sturgeon retention for the year.

Retention continues in The Dalles pool, where 69 fish on a guideline of 300 had been caught through May 31.

Ocean salmon — Salmon anglers had a good opener off the mouth of the Columbia River with a 1.57 fish-per-rod average on Saturday and Sunday.

According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, there were 968 trips from the Columbia River ports with 715 chinook and 809 coho.

The numbers from Sunday for Westport were 694 trips with 215 chinook and 173 coho, an average of .56 salmon per rod.