Montana Fish Report

Fall salmon seasons on the Columbia River open on Wednesday, Aug. 1 with modest forecasts and a few new regulations.

The popular Buoy 10 fishery will lead off Columbia River fall fisheries with effort and catch in other sections of the mainstem building over time.  A total of 375,500 adult Chinook are expected to enter the Columbia this fall, which is about 80 percent of last year’s actual return and 50 percent of the recent 10-year average.

Due to a lower forecasted return of upriver bright fall Chinook, fisheries have been planned to remain within a harvest rate limit of 8.25 percent on these fish. This rate is lower than in recent years and has resulted in season and bag limit reductions.

Coho returns are predicted to be similar to last year, with 213,600 adults expected to enter the river mouth, versus last year’s actual return of 235,700.

Due to the below average steelhead forecast of 182,400, no more than one hatchery steelhead may be retained per day during August 1 through December 31 for all mainstem Columbia River recreational fisheries.

The Buoy 10 fishery is open for retention of adult Chinook (hatchery and wild), adult hatchery coho, and hatchery steelhead through Aug. 24with a one salmonid daily bag limit. Chinook retention is scheduled to close Aug. 25, but the fishery will remain open for adult hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead only. The daily bag limit is two hatchery salmonids, but no more than one may be a steelhead.

From Tongue Point upstream to Warrior Rock, retention of adult Chinook (hatchery and wild), hatchery coho, and hatchery steelhead is allowed through Sept. 2, with a one fish daily adult bag. Starting Sept. 3, the fishery will remain open for hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead only. The daily adult bag limit is two hatchery salmonids, but no more than one may be a steelhead.

From Warrior Rock upstream to Bonneville Dam, retention of Chinook (hatchery or wild), hatchery coho, and hatchery steelhead is open through Sept. 14 with an adult bag limit of one salmonid. Beginning Sept. 15, the fishery will remain open for hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead only. The daily adult bag limit is two hatchery salmonids, but no more than one may be a steelhead.

For the area from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco, WA, retention of Chinook (hatchery or wild), coho, and hatchery steelhead is open currently but the Chinook retention period will be managed in-season based on actual catch and the upriver bright Chinook run size. Wild coho may not be retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge. The daily adult bag limit is two salmonids, which may not include more than one Chinook and one hatchery steelhead. 

During all fall fisheries (August 1 through December 31) from Buoy 10 upstream to the OR/WA border (upstream of McNary Dam) each legal angler aboard a vessel may continue to deploy angling gear until the daily adult salmonid limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved. Anglers are also reminded permanent Columbia Zone regulations prohibit angling with fish onboard that are not allowed to be taken in the area being fished.

Inseason changes to the regulations may be necessary; therefore, anglers should regularly check for regulation updates throughout the season.

A complete summary of 2018 Columbia River fall regulations are available on the ODFW website at ODFW website.