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Columbia River Zone

News:

Beginning Jan. 1, 2013 the Columbia River, and select tributaries (listed under regulation updates for Northwest Zone and Willamette Zone) will be restricted to barbless hooks when fishing for salmon, steelhead and trout.

SALMON, STEELHEAD, and SHAD

FALL SEASON (August 1-December 31)

All Permanent Regulations apply unless noted otherwise. See 2013 Oregon Sport

Fishing Regulations.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Buoy 10 upstream to Tongue Point/ Rocky Point (Buoy 10 line upstream to a line projected from Rocky Point on the WA shore through red buoy #44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point).

Retention of adult adipose fin-clipped coho (>16”) and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed August 1-December 31, 2013.

Open to the retention of adult (>24”) Chinook from September 13 - December 31, 2013. During September 13-25, only adult adipose fin-clipped Chinook may be retained. Beginning Thursday September 26, any Chinook (fin-clipped or not) may be retained.

The combined daily bag limit is two adult salmon or steelhead in combination, and five jack salmon when allowed. Jacks may not be retained between August 1 and September 30.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Tongue Point/ Rocky Point upstream to Bonneville Dam (a line projected from Rocky Point on the WA shore through red buoy #44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point upstream to Bonneville Dam)

Click for a map of this area

Retention of adipose fin-clipped coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed August 1-December 31, 2013 from Tongue Point/Rocky Point upstream to Bonneville Dam.

Retention of Chinook allowed as follows:

Tongue Point to Warrior Rock: August 1- December 31, 2013 from Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore to red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island. During September 6-25, only adipose fin-clipped Chinook may be retained. Beginning Thursday September 26, any Chinook (fin-clipped or not) may be retained.

Warrior Rock to Bonneville Dam: From August 1 – December 31, 2013 from a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore to red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island, upstream to Bonneville Dam. Any Chinook (fin-clipped or not) may be retained.

The combined daily bag limit is two adult salmon or steelhead in combination, and five jack salmon.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Bonneville Dam upstream to Oregon/Washington border

Retention of Chinook (fin-clipped or not), coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed August 1 – December 31, 2013.

All coho retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge must be adipose fin-clipped.

The combined daily bag limit is two adult salmon or steelhead in combination, and five jack salmon.

STURGEON

All Permanent Regulations apply unless noted otherwise. See 2013 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.

The annual bag limit is two legal white sturgeon total for all zones statewide.

The retention of green sturgeon is prohibited at all times.

Anglers are limited to the use of one single-point barbless hook while angling for white sturgeon.

It is unlawful to use lamprey for bait.

In all areas, catch-and-release sturgeon angling is allowed during non-retention periods, unless otherwise indicated.

The lower Willamette River (including Multnomah Channel and the Gilbert River) sturgeon regulation updates can be found under the Willamette Zone.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Buoy 10 upstream to Wauna Powerlines

(mainstem Columbia River from the Wauna powerlines (River Mile 40) downstream to the mouth at Buoy 10, including Youngs Bay; and all adjacent Washington tributaries)

Retention of white sturgeon is prohibited for the remainder of the year.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Wauna Powerlines (RM 40) upstream to Bonneville Dam (including all adjacent Washington tributaries)

Retention of white sturgeon prohibited for the remainder of the year.

The Sandy River is closed to sturgeon retention.

COLUMBIA RIVER RESERVOIRS, between Bonneville Dam and McNary Dam

Sturgeon creel sampling summaries and catch estimates from Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day reservoirs can be found on the WDFW’s Southwest Washington Fishing Reports web page.

Bonneville Reservoir (Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam)

Retention of white sturgeon prohibited for the remainder of the year.

The Dalles Reservoir (The Dalles Dam upstream to John Day Dam)

Effective January 1, 2013, this section of the Columbia River is open to retention of white sturgeon seven days per week until the catch guideline of 300 legal white sturgeon has been met. The daily bag limit is one sturgeon between 43 – 54 inches fork length.

John Day Reservoir (John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam)

Retention of white sturgeon prohibited for the remainder of the year.

McNary Dam upstream to the Oregon/Washington Border

Effective January 1 – 31 and August 1 – December 31, 2013, retention of white sturgeon is prohibited in this section of the Columbia River.

Effective February 1, 2013 through July 31, 2013, this section of the Columbia River will be open to retention of white sturgeon seven days per week. The daily bag limit is one sturgeon between 43 – 54 inches fork length.

Columbia River Information | Columbia River Dam Counts

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The 2013 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (pdf) provide requirements for all zones. However, additional regulations may be adopted in this rule division from time to time and to the extent of any inconsistency, they supersede the 2013 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE :: Salem, OR 97302 :: Main Phone (503) 947-6000 or (800) 720-ODFW :: http://www.dfw.state.or.us

Questions? Contact odfw.info@state.or.us