States set 2022 Columbia River summer/fall salmon and steelhead seasons

CLACKAMAS, Ore. – Oregon and Washington fishery managers recently finalized seasons and regulations for 2022 Columbia River summer and fall recreational salmon and steelhead fisheries.

Forecasts for summer Chinook, fall Chinook, and coho will allow opportunity for anglers to target these fish but with added protections for ESA-listed LCR fall Chinook. The forecast for upriver summer steelhead of 99,700 is below average and will require conservative retention regulations again this year. In addition, while the sockeye forecast of 199,700 is large enough to allow a retention fishery, this forecast includes only 19,200 Wenatchee River sockeye which is below the escapement goal; therefore there will be no directed sockeye fishery in the Columbia River downstream of the Wenatchee River confluence.

For the summer season, retention of adult hatchery Chinook will open June 16 and is expected to continue through June 22 downstream of Bonneville Dam and through July 31 from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Oregon/Washington border. Hatchery steelhead retention will be allowed June 16 to July 31 from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to The Dalles Dam and June 16-August 31 from the Dalles Dam upstream to the OR/WA border with a reduced bag limit of one fish.

This year's adult fall Chinook forecast of 485,500 fish is similar to the actual return in 2021. Chinook retention seasons start Aug. 1 and vary by river section and include additional protection measures for ESA-listed LCR fall Chinook, including mark-selective (adipose fin-clipped only) rules for Chinook at Buoy 10 through Aug. 24 and closures of salmonid angling upstream of west Puget Island when Chinook retention is prohibited.

Due to the low forecast for upriver summer steelhead, protective regulations will include a one hatchery steelhead daily bag limit when open, area-specific retention closures, and Thermal Angling Sanctuaries encompassing portions of Eagle Creek, Herman Creek, the Deschutes River, and the Columbia River near the mouths of these tributaries. Tributary fisheries in the Deschutes and John Day rivers are also restricted until additional information about the strength of the wild upriver summer steelhead run becomes available.

For more information about upcoming Columbia River seasons, including regulation updates, visit ODFW's online fishing reports at https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/columbia-zone

The following are detailed regulations for the 2022 Columbia River summer and fall salmon and steelhead seasons. Remember all regulations are subject to change; anglers should check their zone in the Recreation Report before fishing to make sure seasons haven't changed https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/

2022 mainstem Columbia River summer/fall salmon and steelhead regulations*

Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam

Bonneville Dam upstream to Hwy 395 Bridge (Pasco, WA)

For all fall-season salmonid fisheries, each legal angler aboard a vessel may continue to deploy angling gear until the daily adult salmonid bag limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved.

Buoy 10 upstream to west Puget Island

Area definition: From the Buoy 10 line upstream to a line at the west end of Puget Island extending from green navigation marker #39 on the Washington shore to green navigation marker #41, then to red navigation marker #42, and terminating at red navigation marker #44A on the Oregon shore.

General regulations during August 1 – December 31: 1) adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches; 2) adult coho are 16-inches and longer if caught downstream of the Tongue Point – Rocky Point line (defined as: a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red navigation buoy #44 to the navigation marker at Tongue Point on the Oregon shore), and adult coho are longer than 20-inches if caught upstream of the Tongue Point – Rocky Point line; 3) wild coho must be released; 4) all steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31; and 5) retention of jack salmon prohibited through September 30 downstream of the Tongue Point – Rocky Point line, but is allowed a beginning August 1 upstream of the Tongue Point – Rocky Point line.

West Puget Island upstream to Warrior Rock/Bachelor Island

Area definition: From a line at the west end of Puget Island extending from green navigation marker #39 on the Washington shore to green navigation marker #41, then to red navigation marker #42, and terminating at red navigation marker #44A on the Oregon shore upstream to a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore to red navigation buoy #4, then to the piling dolphin on the lower end of Bachelor Island.

General regulations during August 1 – December 31: 1) adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches, 2) adult coho are longer than 20-inches, 3) wild coho must be released, 4) all steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31, 5) retention of jack salmon allowed a, 6) salmonid angling closed when Chinook retention is prohibited.

Warrior Rock/Bachelor Island upstream to Bonneville Dam

Area definition: From a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore to red navigation buoy #4, then to the piling dolphin on the lower end of Bachelor Island upstream to Bonneville Dam.

General regulations during August 1 – December 31: 1) adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches, 2) adult coho are longer than 20-inches, 3) wild coho must be released, 4) all steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31, 5) retention of jack salmon allowed a, 6) salmonid angling closed when Chinook retention is prohibited.

Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam b

General regulations during August 1 – December 31: 1) adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches, 2) adult coho are longer than 20-inches, 3) only hatchery coho (adults and jacks) may be retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge, 4) all steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31, and 5) retention of jack salmon allowed a.

The Dalles Dam upstream to Hwy 395 Bridge (Pasco, WA) b

General regulations during August 1 – December 31: 1) adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches, 2) adult coho are longer than 20-inches, 3) all steelhead must be released September 1 – December 31, and 4) retention of jack salmon allowed a.

2022 summer/fall salmon and steelhead regulations for Columbia River Thermal Angling Sanctuaries (Eagle Cr., Herman Cr., Deschutes River) and the lower John Day River.

Permanent regulations and/or new temporary rules apply for other sections of these tributaries.

Area definition: From the angling deadline in Eagle Creek (200 feet downstream of hatchery fishway entrance) downstream to the mouth at the mainline railroad bridge.

Eagle Creek Mouth (Columbia River Zone)

Area definition: The mainstem Columbia River adjacent to the mouth of Eagle Creek from the mainline railroad bridge northwest to a line projecting from a marker on the Oregon shore approximately 200 feet downstream of Eagle Creek, through red navigation buoy #4, and terminating at a marker on the Oregon shore approximately 325 feet upstream of Eagle Creek.

Herman Creek (Columbia River Zone)

Area definition: From the mainline railroad bridge downstream to markers at mouth.

Herman Creek Lagoon (Columbia River Zone)

Area definition: Herman Creek Lagoon/Cove east of a line from the northwest tip of the jetty, south to a marker on the Oregon shore.

Area definition: From markers at lower end of Moody Rapids downstream to the mouth at Interstate 84 Bridge.

Deschutes River Mouth (Columbia River Zone)

Area definition: The mainstem Columbia River adjacent to the mouth of the Deschutes River from the Interstate 84 Bridge north to a line projecting from the flashing red navigation marker #2 located approximately 1.5 miles downstream of the Deschutes River mouth on the Oregon shore, upstream to the red navigation marker #4, then to the lower South Channel Range "B" marker located on the Oregon shore approximately 0.7 mile upstream of the Deschutes River mouth.

John Day River (Northeast Zone)

Area definition: From the mainline railroad bridge at the mouth, upstream to a marker ¼ mile below Tumwater Falls.

Jeff Whisler, (971) 673-6024 Michelle Dennehy, (503) 947-6022

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