Salmon and steelhead bag limits adjusted for Snake River starting Sept. 23

ENTERPRISE, Ore. – Bag limits for Chinook salmon and hatchery steelhead are changing on the Snake River starting Sept. 23 as fishery managers work to protect a record low steelhead run and lower than average fall Chinook run.

For the area of the Snake River from the Oregon Washington state border, upstream to the boundary 400 feet below Hells Canyon Dam:

Chinook: Hatchery Chinook salmon only with a bag limit of three adult hatchery Chinook (no limit on jacks) from Sept. 23-Oct. 31.

While anglers were allowed to keep one wild Chinook when the season first opened on Aug. 18, fishery managers are tightening retention of wild fall Chinook for the remainder of the season due to the continued lower than average wild fall returns.

Hatchery steelhead: Bag limit of two hatchery steelhead (reduced from three in the permanent regulations) from Sept. 23-Dec. 31.

The reduced bag limit for steelhead follows the lowest returns of the total A/B index and unclipped steelhead on record at Bonneville Dam. While steelhead fishing is closed in other tributaries of the Columbia River such as the Deschutes and John Day in Oregon, abundance in the Snake River and its tributaries will likely meet thresholds where fishery managers can maintain some retention of hatchery steelhead. The reduction in the steelhead bag limit serves to meet broodstock collection and conservation goals, largely for Idaho populations. Oregon's rules modification will match changes already enacted in Idaho's fishing regulations

"These rule changes reflect strong coordination with our Idaho partners," said Kyle Bratcher, ODFW district fish biologist, "Managing shared fisheries requires shared responsibility, and these steps give both states the flexibility we need to protect wild Chinook and maintain stable steelhead seasons for anglers."

Tightening retention of wild fall Chinook preserves the allowable ESA take necessary to maintain popular steelhead fisheries, according to Bratcher.

"Even when anglers aren't targeting Chinook directly, incidental encounters happen, and safeguarding those wild fish is essential to sustaining steelhead access for the rest of the season," he said.

All other permanent rules, as stated in the current Oregon Sport Fishing regulations, remain in effect.

ODFW reminds anglers to review the2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations and always check for In-season regulations updates before fishing.