Fisheries managers are trying to keep the excellent Buoy 10 chinook season open through Labor Day.
Therefore, as of last Monday, anglers at the mouth of the Columbia River are allowed to keep only fin-clipped fish.
The rule change comes as a result of the early season that saw season catch limits approach faster than anticipated.
“This year’s Buoy 10 fishery started out strong, with very high catch rates and a near-record level of angler participation,” said Chris Kern, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife administrator. “Limiting harvest to hatchery fish should allow Chinook anglers to keep fishing through the holiday weekend.”
Other rules adopted Monday:
• The overall daily bag limit will continue to be two adult hatchery salmon or steelhead, in combination, only one of which may be a Chinook. All wild steelhead, coho, and Chinook salmon must be released. As in all years, all jack salmon caught between Tongue Point and Buoy 10 must be released through Sept. 30.
• Anglers may transport un-clipped Chinook salmon caught in adjacent fisheries (such as the ocean or the Columbia River above Tongue Point) through the Buoy 10 area, but cannot fish in Buoy 10 with an un-clipped salmon on board.
Catch estimates through August 20 include 18,600 Chinook and 15,000 coho kept from 46,600 angler trips. The chinook catch is already the sixth highest since 1982.
Angler checks from the Washington (WDFW) and Oregon (ODFW) departments of Fish and Wildlife:
Lower Columbia — Longview, 71 boaters with six adult fall chinook plus one steelhead released; 136 bank rods with three adult chinook and 13 steelhead kept plus four steelhead released. (WDFW)
• Cowlitz River mouth, 73 boaters with 15 adult fall chinook plus one released and 11 steelhead kept plus 11 steelhead released. (WDFW)
• Kalama, 131 boaters with 11 adult fall chinook and and one released plus one steelhead released; 237 bank rods with 11 adult chinook and seven steelhead kept. (WDFW)
• Woodland, 100 boaters with 14 adult chinook and two steelhead kept plus four steelhead released; 212 bank rods with 15 adult fall chinook and four steelhead kept plus one steelhead released. (WDFW)
Mid-Columbia — Bonneville pool, (mostly outside Drano Lake) 20 boaters with three adult chinook kept and one steelhead released. (WDFW)
• The Dalles pool, one boater with six walleye released. (WDFW)
Cowlitz — Fifteen boaters with one adult fall chinook and three steelhead kept plus one steelhead released; 40 bank rods with 18 steelhead kept. (WDFW)
Wind — Five boaters with two steelhead kept. (WDFW)
Drano Lake — Two-hundred-twenty three boaters with 22 adult fall chinook and 54 steelhead kept plus one adult chinook, 101 steelhead and one sturgeon released; 19 bank anglers with three steelhead kept and seven released.(WDFW)
