News / Sports / Outdoors

Fall salmon fishing limits set for Buoy 10

Short closure in August aimed at avoiding overharvest

By ALLEN THOMAS, for The Columbian

Published: April 8, 2023, 3:08pm

Anglers in the popular Buoy 10 fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River will be limited to keeping only hatchery chinook and hatchery coho salmon during the 2023 summer season. (The Columbian files)

Anglers in the popular Buoy 10 fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River will be limited to keeping only hatchery chinook and hatchery coho salmon this summer, plus five days will be closed in late August to dampen the catch and avoid last year’s overharvest.

However, sportsmen will be able to catch and keep wild chinook — although in shortened seasons — from the west tip of Puget Island near Cathlamet to Bonneville Dam.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife posted the fall salmon and steelhead fishing regulations Friday on its website.

In 2022, the catch of lower Columbia tule fall chinook in late August at Buoy 10 exceeded expectations by 219 percent. Washington and Oregon were forced to close all salmon and steelhead fishing beginning Sept. 2 from Buoy 10 to Bonneville Dam to avoid exceeding catch limitations.

Chinook anglers finally got a remnant of a fishery beginning Sept. 15, but only upstream of Reed Island, near Washougal.

Here are the seasons, keeping in mind that changes based on catch rates, run size change and unforeseen circumstances remain possible:

Buoy 10 to west Puget Island — Open Aug. 1 through Sept. 4 except closed Aug. 21-23 and Aug. 28-29. Daily limit of two salmon, although only one chinook. Only fin-clipped chinook and fin-clipped coho may be retained. Open beginning Sept. 5 for fin-clipped coho only, three fish daily limit.

West Puget Island to Lewis River — Open Aug. 1 through Sept. 4. Daily limit of two salmon, but no more than one chinook. Unclipped chinook allowed. Closed from Sept. 5-30. Opens Oct. 1 for hatchery coho.

Lewis River to Bonneville Dam — Open Aug. 1 through Sept. 14. Daily limit of two salmon, although only one chinook. Unclipped chinook allowed. Closed from Sept. 15-30. Opens Oct. 1 for hatchery coho.

Bonneville Dam to Highway 395 at Pasco — Open Aug. 1 through Oct. 15. Daily limit is two salmon, but no more than one chinook. Unclipped chinook allowed. Anglers must release unclipped coho downstream of the Hood River Bridge. Angling reopens Oct. 16 for coho, with hatchery coho allowed downstream of the Hood River Bridge and any coho upstream.

Summer steelhead fishing rules vary greatly by location.

Fishing is allowed through July 31 from the mouth of the Columbia to The Dalles Dam. Drano Lake and the lower reaches of the Wind, White Salmon and Klickitat rivers will be closed for steelhead fishing July through October.

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