Short reopening scheduled for Columbia River spring chinook fishery below Bonneville Dam

A section of the lower Columbia River will reopen for recreational spring chinook fishing for two days beginning Saturday, April 13, state fishery managers announced.

The initial spring chinook fishing period from Bonneville Dam downriver to Warrior Rock at St. Helens, Ore., ended at midnight Wednesday, April 10. But with less than half of the expected harvest of 3,689 upriver spring chinook salmon reeled in so far, additional opportunity remains available to anglers, and fishery managers from Washington and Oregon agreed to reopen the area to fishing for one more weekend from April 13-14.

"Given the low forecast, we're closely monitoring this run," Bill Tweit, special assistant for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said in the announcement. "We're going to meet our conservation objectives and work within our means to provide harvest opportunities."

Tweit said that cold spring temperatures and recent heavy rains may have also contributed to slow fishing in recent weeks.

The fishery will reopen for spring chinook over the weekend on the Columbia River upstream from the Warrior Rock boundary line to Bonneville Dam. The lower river downstream from Warrior Rock remains closed to fishing for salmon, steelhead, and shad.

Anglers may retain two adult salmon, two steelhead, or one of each per day, but only one salmon may be a chinook. Only hatchery fish may be retained.

Waters above Bonneville Dam to the Oregon/Washington state line above McNary Dam remain open to salmon fishing through May 5.

Anglers are reminded that the use of barbless hooks is required when fishing for salmon and steelhead in these areas.