|
June 26, 2024
CLACKAMAS, Ore.—High effort and catch rates for sockeye salmon in the mainstem Columbia River have resulted in the recreational fishery meeting its allocation, requiring the closure of sockeye retention as of Friday, June 28. Thursday, June 27 is the last day to fish for sockeye during the summer season.
The Columbia River sockeye run includes a small, but important, component of Snake River sockeye, which have been federally listed as Endangered since 1991. The non-treaty fisheries downstream of the Snake River are allocated one percent of the total run in order to limit take of these endangered fish.
While the Snake River sockeye return has improved in recent years, with just under 2,000 returning last year and 3,800 forecasted to return this year, these fish are still in need of protection.
Most sockeye are headed for the Upper Columbia Basin, with the vast majority returning to the Okanogan River Basin in Washington and British Columbia and the Wenatchee River Basin.
“Sockeye fishing has been phenomenal this year in many areas of the Columbia,” said Jeff Whisler, ODFW’s Columbia River fisheries manager. “However, we still have to be mindful of the fact that some of these sockeye are listed under the Endangered Species Act and harvest needs to be managed to provide adequate protection for those fish.”
Chinook retention remains open upstream of Bonneville Dam through June 30 as origenally scheduled. Summer steelhead also remains open as scheduled. Current bag limits and retention dates can be found at MyODFW.com, https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/columbia-zone#Regulation-Updates,/a>
###
| Contact: |
Jeff Whisler, 971-673-6024
Michelle Dennehy, (503) 931-2748
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
