Recreation Report
Columbia Zone
Recreation Report
Sept. 27, 2023
If there’s not a photo, it didn’t happen
Submit your fishing photo to ODFW and we might use it here or elsewhere on MyODFW.com.
Current and upcoming fishing opportunities
- Fall salmon fisheries opened on Aug. 1, 2023 from Buoy 10 upstream to the Hwy 395 Bridge. See regulation updates for details on open season dates, daily bag limits, and other regulations.
- All other permanent rules for the Columbia River Zone, as stated in the 2023 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations, remain in effect.
Announcements
E-tagging tips for anglers
It's important for anglers to tag their salmon and steelhead immediately, which means you'll need to know how to navigate the MyODFW app outside of cell phone range. Here are some tips for e-tagging in the field.
Pitch in to keep water banks clean
We wish it didn't have to be this way. But as more anglers hit the water, more trash piles up on shore. We know it's not your job to pick up discarded beer cans, Slurpee cups, fishing line, hamburger wrappers and other trash that isn't yours. But if everyone pitched in and picked up what they saw, wouldn't it be a nicer place to fish?
2023 forecasts
2023 fisheries expectations
- Columbia River 2022 Fisheries Results and 2023 Expectations (pdf)
- Columbia River summer/fall fishery plan (pdf)
Sign up for the latest information on boater access
Marine Board’s Opportunities and Access Report incorporates information from federal and state agencies, local facility operators and fellow boaters to provide up-to-date information so boaters can decide where to recreate and what to expect this season. Subscribe to receive email updates.
Find Columbia River regulation updates for salmon, steelhead, shad and sturgeon by clicking the Regulation Updates button.
Salmon, steelhead and shad
On Saturday's (9/23) flight, there were 606 salmonid boats and 15 Oregon bank anglers counted from Bonneville Dam downstream to Tongue Point.
Gorge:
Weekly checking showed 82 Chinook, 16 jack Chinook, eight coho, and one jack coho kept, and four Chinook and one coho released for 40 boats (148 anglers); and three Chinook kept for seven bank anglers.
Troutdale:
Weekly checking showed 106 Chinook, 18 jack Chinook, 17 coho kept, and one Chinook, four jack Chinook, and 12 coho released for 188 boats (394 anglers).
Portland to Sauvie Island:
Weekly checking showed 85 Chinook, 14 jack Chinook, 22 coho, and two jack coho kept, and nine Chinook, one jack Chinook, nine coho, and one jack coho released for 134 boats (313 anglers); and no catch for three bank anglers.
Sauvie Island to Rainier:
Weekly checking showed 32 Chinook, six jack Chinook, 36 coho, and five jack coho kept, and eight coho released for 60 boats (142 anglers).
Rainier to West Puget Island:
Weekly checking showed two Chinook and one Chinook jack kept for two boats (four anglers).
West Puget Island to Tongue Point:
Weekly checking showed no catch for one boat (two anglers).
Buoy 10:
Weekly checking showed 15 Chinook and 101 coho kept, and five Chinook and 101 coho released for 124 boats (368 anglers); and 0.23 coho kept per bank angler.
Bonneville Pool (Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam):
Weekly checking showed 141 Chinook, 21 jack Chinook, 20 coho, and one jack coho kept, and 12 Chinook, one jack Chinook, and 11 coho released for 108 boats (344 anglers); and no catch for three bank anglers.
The Dalles Pool (The Dalles Dam upstream to John Day Dam):
Weekly checking showed 60 Chinook, 15 jack Chinook, 24 coho kept, and four jack coho kept, and two Chinook, one jack Chinook, and two coho released for 54 boats (160 anglers).
John Day Pool (Columbia River above John Day Dam and John Day Arm):
Weekly checking showed one Chinook and one jack Chinook kept for eight boats (20 anglers).
Sturgeon
Lower Columbia River (below Bonneville Dam):
Closed to retention. No report.
Bonneville Pool:
Weekly checking showed one legal sized sturgeon released for two bank anglers.
The Dalles Pool:
Weekly checking showed three oversized sturgeon released for one boat (three anglers).
John Day Pool:
Weekly checking showed 18 sublegal, one oversized, and five legal sized sturgeons released for four boats (eight anglers).
Walleye
Lower Columbia River (below Bonneville Dam):
No report.
Bonneville Pool:
No report.
The Dalles Pool:
Weekly checking showed three walleye released for two boats (four anglers).
John Day Pool:
Weekly checking showed 37 walleye kept, and four walleye released for 10 boats (22 anglers).
