Sturgeon retention in the Bonneville and The Dalles pools of the Columbia River Gorge will be open Jan. 1 through 29 on a Wednesdays-and-Saturdays schedule or until quotas are reached.
The Washington and Oregon departments of Fish and Wildlife adopted the regulations last week.
In 2024, the Bonneville pool quota of 675 sturgeon was caught in two days and The Dalles pool quota of 275 sturgeon in four days.
State fish managers shifted to the days-per-week schedule several years ago to have time to assess and react to catch rates in real time and to try to extend fishing later into the year.
But the fishery continues to see high angler effort and the quotas, obviously, can fill in only a few days if water temperatures and weather conditions are favorable.
Opening the season on New Year’s Day also contributes to a shortened season. Angling effort is very high on the holiday.
“It’s difficult to move away from Jan. 1 without a more thorough public process, as we know how important it is to a lot of people up there,” said Tucker Jones, Oregon’s ocean salmon and Columbia River program manager. “But considering the performance of these fisheries, I am skeptical that we will be able to offer a meaningful number of retention days without reconsidering a Jan. 1 opener in the future.”
Sturgeon retention in the John Day pool opens daily on Jan. 1. Although the John Day quota is only 105 fish, fishing remained open through March 14 in 2024.
The slot limit in the Bonneville pool is 38 inches minimum and 54 inches maximum fork length. Fork length is measured in a straight line from the tip of the nose to the fork in the tail fin with the fish laying on its side on a flat surface. The catch limit is one sturgeon a day and two for the year.
The limit in The Dalles pool is 43 inches minimum and 54 inches maximum fork length with one fish daily and two per year.
Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is open all year.
Surveys have detected successful spawning by sturgeon in Bonneville pool every year of the past 10 years, except in 2015. Successful spawning in The Dalles pool has been documented seven of the past 10 years, but is declining.
Spawning in John Day pool was detected only in 2019 in the past decade.
The Bonneville pool population will be reassessed by fishery managers in late January 2025.
Coldwater center to close Dec. 16
The Coldwater Science and Learning Center on the north side of Mount St. Helens will close for the winter on Dec. 16.
The center is at about 3,100 feet elevation at milepost 43 on state Highway 504. It looks down on 773-acre Coldwater Lake.
The visitor center is expected to reopen on May 17 in time for the 45th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens. Nearby Hummocks trailhead and the Coldwater Lake boat launch and day-use area will remain open all winter, but may become inaccessible when significant snow falls.
WDFW accepting grant volunteer applications
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is now accepting grant applications for volunteer projects that benefit the state’s fish and wildlife resources and the public’s enjoyment of them.
WDFW estimates having approximately $896,900 available for grants, funded through the state’s Aquatic Land Enhancement Account (ALEA), for projects occurring between July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027. The final amount available will be subject to legislative appropriation and won’t be finalized unless approved in the 2025 legislative session.
The program funds five major types of projects, although other project types may be considered. Project types include habitat restoration, scientific research/community science, public education and outreach, facility development and artificial fish production.
Eligible applicants are individuals, non-profit organizations, schools (including universities), tribes, and political subdivisions of the state such as conservation districts. For-profit businesses, state, and federal agencies are not eligible.
Funds are provided on a cost-reimbursement basis and may not be used for staff salaries, wages, stipends, or benefits. Grantees are required to follow state purchasing rules and report on their progress quarterly.
