Columbia Zone

Regulation Updates as of July 17, 2018

These are in-season regulation changes adopted on a temporary or emergency basis. Please see e-regulations for permanent regulations.

SALMON, STEELHEAD, AND SHAD

All regulations may be subject to in-season modifications.

Summer Seasons (June 16-July 31 timeframe)

COLUMBIA RIVER, Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam

During July 1 – July 31:

• Retention of adult Chinook prohibited.
• Retention of sockeye allowed. All sockeye are considered adults and must be recorded as adults on the combined angling tag.
• Retention of hatchery Chinook jacks and hatchery steelhead allowed. 
• The daily adult bag limit is two salmonids (hatchery steelhead and sockeye only). 
• All other permanent rules apply including bag limits for jacks.

COLUMBIA RIVER, Bonneville Dam upstream to OR/WA border (upstream of McNary Dam)

• Retention of adult hatchery Chinook (24-inches or longer) allowed through Friday July 6.
• Retention of adult Chinook prohibited effective July 7 – 31.
• During July 1-31:
  • Retention of hatchery Chinook jacks and hatchery steelhead allowed.  
  • Retention of sockeye allowed.  All sockeye are considered adults and must be recorded as adults on the combined angling tag.
  • The daily adult bag limit is two salmonids (hatchery steelhead and sockeye only during July 8-31). 
• All other permanent rules apply including bag limits for jacks.

Fall Seasons (August 1-December 31 timeframe)

COLUMBIA RIVER, Buoy 10

• Area definition: From the Buoy 10 line upstream to a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red buoy #44 to red marker #2 at Tongue Point on the Oregon shore.
• August 1 – December 31: Retention of adult hatchery coho (16-inches or longer) and hatchery steelhead allowed.  Daily bag limits by time period are described below.  All other permanent rules apply.
• August 1 – August 24: Retention of adult Chinook (24-inches or longer) allowed.  The daily bag limit is one adult salmonid (Chinook, hatchery coho, or hatchery steelhead only).
• August 25 – September 30: Retention of Chinook prohibited.  The daily bag limit is two adult hatchery salmonids (coho and steelhead only) and may include up to one hatchery steelhead.
• October 1 – December 31: Retention of Chinook prohibited.  The daily adult bag limit is two hatchery salmonids (coho and steelhead only) and may include up to one hatchery steelhead.  Hatchery coho jacks may be retained. 

COLUMBIA RIVER, Tongue Point/Rocky Point upstream to Warrior Rock/Bachelor Island

• Area definition: From a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington shore through red buoy #44 to the red marker #2 at Tongue Point on the Oregon shore upstream to a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore through red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island.
• August 1 – December 31: Retention of adult hatchery coho (longer than 20-inches), and hatchery steelhead allowed.  Hatchery coho jacks may be retained.  Daily adult bag limits by time period are described below.  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.  All other permanent rules apply.
• August 1 – September 2: Retention of adult (24-inches or longer) and jack Chinook allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is one salmonid (Chinook, hatchery coho, and hatchery steelhead only).
• September 3 – December 31: Retention of Chinook (adults and jacks) prohibited.  The daily adult bag limit is two hatchery salmonids (coho and steelhead only) and may include up to one hatchery steelhead.

COLUMBIA RIVER, Warrior Rock/Bachelor Island upstream to Bonneville Dam

• Area definition: From a line projected from the Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore through red buoy #4 to a marker on the lower end of Bachelor Island upstream to Bonneville Dam.
• August 1 – December 31: Retention of adult hatchery coho (longer than 20-inches) and hatchery steelhead allowed.  Hatchery coho jacks may be retained.  Daily adult bag limits by time period are described below.  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.  All other permanent rules apply.
• August 1 – September 14: Retention of adult (24-inches or longer) and jack Chinook allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is one salmonid (Chinook, hatchery coho, and hatchery steelhead only).
• September 15 – December 31: Retention of Chinook (adults and jacks) prohibited.  The daily adult bag limit is two hatchery salmonids (coho and steelhead only) and may include up to one hatchery steelhead.

COLUMBIA RIVER, Bonneville Dam upstream to OR/WA border (upstream of McNary Dam)

• August 1 – December 31: Retention of adult coho (longer than 20-inches) and hatchery steelhead allowed.  Coho jacks may be retained.  All coho (adults and jacks) retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge must be hatchery fish.  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.  All other permanent rules apply
• Effective August 1 until further notice, retention of adult Chinook (24-inches or longer) and Chinook jacks allowed but will be managed in-season based on actual catches and the upriver bright fall Chinook run-size.  The daily adult bag limit is two salmonids, and may include up to one Chinook and up to one hatchery steelhead.

STURGEON

COLUMBIA RIVER, Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam

• Closed to retention of white sturgeon. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed.
  • All other permanent rules apply including sanctuary closures during May 1-August 31.

COLUMBIA RIVER RESERVOIRS, between Bonneville Dam and McNary Dam

Bonneville Reservoir (Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam)

• Closed to retention of white sturgeon. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed.
• All other permanent rules apply including sanctuary closures during May 1-July 31.

The Dalles Reservoir (The Dalles Dam upstream to John Day Dam)

• Closed to retention of white sturgeon. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed.
• All other permanent rules apply including sanctuary closures during May 1-July 31.

John Day Reservoir (John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam)

• Closed to retention of white sturgeon. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed.
• All other permanent rules apply including sanctuary closures during May 1-July 31.

Columbia River Information | Columbia River Dam Counts