2012 Summer and Fall Salmon Seasons Set for Columbia River

May 15, 2012

CLACKAMAS, Ore. –Fishery managers have announced 2012 summer and fall salmon fishing seasons on the Columbia River.

The seasons are based on results of this year’s Pacific Fishery Management Councils (PFMC) process including a series of public meetings, referred to as North of Falcon, in which fishery managers from several jurisdictions convene to plan salmon fisheries on the Columbia River and parts of the ocean off the Oregon and Washington coasts.

This year’s projected return of summer chinook is expected to be 91,000 fish with the retention season currently scheduled to run from June 16 through July 1.

“There’s a chance the season may be extended once we get a good look at what the actual return is,” according to Steve Williams, ODFW deputy Fish Division administrator. “Until then, we’re planning a conservative fishery to stay within the available quota.”

Similar to last year, sockeye salmon retention will be allowed during part of the summer with retention scheduled to open May 16-July 1 downstream of the I-5 Bridge and June 16-July 1 above the I-5 Bridge.

The fall season begins Aug. 1, and includes the popular Buoy 10 fishery near Astoria and the fall “upriver bright” season in the main stem Columbia. The 2012 predicted run sizes and fishing season for chinook are similar to last year, though managers expect sport anglers will be allowed to retain chinook through Labor Day at Buoy 10. Managers are predicting coho returns will be down from last year but not enough to affect season length.

Summary of 2012 summer and fall salmon regulations for the Columbia River

• Sockeye Salmon
  • Retention of sockeye allowed:
    • May 16 – June 15 ** from a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red buoy #44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point upstream to the I-5 Bridge.
    • June 16 – July 1** from Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam
    • June 16 – July 31 from Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border.
    • All sockeye count as an adult salmonid in the daily limit.

• Summer Chinook
  • Retention of adipose fin-clipped adult (longer than 24-inches) summer chinook allowed June 16 - July 1** from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam, and June 16-July 31 from Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border.
  • Retention of adipose fin-clipped jack (12 to 24-inches long) summer chinook allowed June 16 – July 31 from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the OR/WA border.
  • The combined daily bag limit is two adults and five jacks.

Fall Salmon Seasons

• Buoy 10
  
  
  • Retention of adult (longer than 16-inches) adipose fin-clipped coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed Aug. 1 - December 31.
  • Retention of adult (longer than 24-inches) chinook allowed during Aug. 1-Sept. 3** and Oct. 1-Dec. 31.
  • The combined daily bag limit is two adults, only one of which may be a chinook during Aug. 1 – Sept. 3. Beginning Oct. 1 the combined daily bag limit is two adults, both of which can be chinook. Jacks may not be retained between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30 under permanent rules.
  • All other permanent rules apply.
    
• Lower Columbia (Tongue Point/Rocky Point upstream to Bonneville Dam).
  
  
  • Retention of adipose fin-clipped coho and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed Aug. 1 – Dec. 31.
    Retention of chinook allowed:
    • Aug. 1 – Sept. 9** and October 1-December 31 from the Rocky Point-Tongue 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.
    • Aug. 1 – Dec. 31** 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.
  • The combined daily bag limit is two adults and five jack salmon. During Aug. 1-Sept. 9** the daily bag limit may not include more than one adult chinook. During September 10 – December 31, the daily bag limit may include two Chinook upstream of Warrior Rock. During Oct. 1 – Dec. 31 the daily bag limit may include up to two chinook from Tongue Point to Bonneville Dam.
  • An in-season extension may be considered for the area from the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to Warrior Rock during all or part of the September 10-16 timeframe under mark-selective (ad-clipped) regulations.
    
• Bonneville Dam upstream to the OR/WA border
  
  
  • Retention of chinook, coho, and adipose fin-clipped steelhead allowed Aug. 1 – Dec. 31**.
  • The combined daily bag limit is two adults and five jack salmon.
  • All coho retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge must be adipose fin-clipped.

** Seasons may be subject to in-season modification.

For a complete summary of the summer and fall fisheries on the Columbia, including salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and shad, go to the ODFW website.