Montana Fish Report

Steelhead fishing on the Umatilla River will be closed from Oct.15- April 30, 2019 to protect native steelhead.

Also, the bag limit for salmon on the Umatilla River (from the Hwy 730 bridge to the CTUIR reservation boundary approximately 0.7 miles above Hwy 11 bridge) will be lowered from 3 to 1 adult fall Chinook or coho salmon per day and 5 jack salmon per day from Oct. 15-Nov. 30. In addition, 5 mini jack (8-15 inches) coho or fall Chinook salmon can be taken per day in that stretch of the Umatilla River.

Steelhead fishing will also be closed on the Walla Walla River from Dec. 1, 2018-April 30, 2019, again to protect native steelhead.

Estimated returns for both the Umatilla and Walla Walla rivers are expected to be near historic lows, based on returns over Bonneville Dam. The steelhead closure and reduction in the fall Chinook and coho bag limits are needed to ensure enough fish are available for hatchery broodstock escapement to Threemile Dam.

For more information on regulations and fishing opportunities in the Northeast Zone, visit https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/northeast-zone