Columbia Zone
Table of Contents
Recreation Report
Sept. 11, 2024
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
- The Fall salmon season is open on the Columbia River. See regulation updates for details.
Announcements
Fishing for cash
The Pikeminnow Sport Reward Fishery Program pays anglers for each northern pikeminnow they catch in the Columbia River. Each pikeminnow caught helps a few more juvenile salmon and steelhead make their way to sea. The Sport Reward program season ends on Sept. 30. Read more about the program.
Fish consumption advisories
The Oregon Health Authority has issued consumption guidelines for parts of the Columbia River due to high levels of mercury and/or PCBs. Fish with these chemicals look, act, smell and taste like any other fish, so caution is important.
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.
Click here to find Columbia River regulation updates for salmon, steelhead, shad and sturgeon.
Salmon, steelhead and shad
On Saturday's (9/14) flight, there were 821 salmonid boats and 29 Oregon bank anglers counted from Bonneville Dam to Warrior Rock Lighthouse.
Gorge:
Weekly checking showed 379 Chinook, 67 jack Chinook, and eight coho kept, and 11 Chinook, two jack Chinook, and two coho released for 175 boats (613 anglers); and two Chinook kept for 79 bank anglers.
Troutdale:
Weekly checking showed 215 Chinook, 39 jack Chinook, and nine coho kept, and 11 Chinook, three jack Chinook, eight coho, and one steelhead released for 447 boats (926 anglers).
Portland to Warrior Rock:
Weekly checking showed 375 Chinook, 91 jack Chinook, 61 coho, and three jack coho kept, and 20 Chinook, 15 jack Chinook, 29 coho, three jack coho, and five steelhead released for 445 boats (1,104 anglers); and no catch for seven bank anglers.
Warrior Rock to Rainier:
Weekly checking showed 34 Chinook, nine jack Chinook, 28 coho, and one jack coho kept, and 108 Chinook, nine jack Chinook, 24 coho, one jack coho, and two steelhead released for 73 boats (162 anglers); and no catch for four bank anglers.
Rainier to Lower Puget Island:
Weekly checking showed two jack Chinook and two coho kept, and one Chinook, one jack Chinook, and one coho released for two boats (five anglers); and no catch for one bank angler.
Lower Puget Island to Tongue Point/Rocky Point
Weekly checking showed one Chinook and 13 coho kept, and one jack Chinook, three coho, and one jack coho released for 20 boats (46 anglers).
Buoy 10
Weekly checking showed 63 Chinook and 448 coho kept, and 66 Chinook and 414 coho released for 340 boats (964 anglers).
Bonneville Pool (Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam):
Weekly checking showed 87 Chinook, 20 jack Chinook, five coho, and one jack coho kept, and 13 Chinook, two jack Chinook, one coho, and one steelhead released for 90 boats (262 anglers).
The Dalles Pool (The Dalles Dam upstream to John Day Dam):
Weekly checking showed 48 Chinook, two jack Chinook, and six coho kept, and nine Chinook, five jack Chinook, one jack coho, and one steelhead released for 99 boats (279 anglers).
John Day Pool (Columbia River above John Day Dam and John Day Arm):
Weekly checking showed no catch for five boats (11 anglers).
Sturgeon
Lower Columbia River (below Bonneville Dam):
Closed for retention. Weekly checking showed four legal sized and one over-legal sized sturgeon released for one boat (two anglers).
Bonneville Pool:
Closed for retention. Weekly checking showed one sub-legal sized and one legal-sized sturgeon released for one boat (three anglers).
The Dalles Pool:
Closed for retention. Weekly checking showed four sub-legal sized, seven legal sized, and eight over-legal sized sturgeon released for four boats (16 anglers).
John Day Pool:
Closed to retention. No report.
Walleye
Lower Columbia River (below Bonneville Dam):
No report.
Bonneville Pool:
No report.
The Dalles Pool:
No report.
John Day Pool:
Weekly checking showed four walleye kept for three boats (seven anglers).
Regulation Updates
Regulation updates as of July 18, 2024.
The following regulations reflect changes or additions to the permanent regulations listed in the current Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. All other permanent regulations remain in effect. Please see e-regulations.
Salmon, steelhead, and shad
Summer Season (June 16 – July 31)
Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam
- Retention of hatchery jack Chinook and hatchery steelhead allowed June 16 – July 31.
- The daily adult bag limit is one hatchery steelhead effective June 28 – July 31.
Bonneville Dam upstream to Oregon/Washington Border above McNary Dam
- Retention of hatchery jack Chinook and hatchery steelhead allowed June 16 – July 31.
- The daily adult bag limit is one hatchery steelhead effective July 1 – July 31.
Fall Season (August 1 – December 31)
For all mainstem fall-season salmon/steelhead fisheries between Buoy 10 and the Oregon/Washington border (upstream of McNary Dam), each legal angler aboard a vessel may continue to deploy angling gear until the daily adult salmon/steelhead bag limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved. Anglers are reminded that it is unlawful to fish in an area while in possession of fish that are not legal for that area.
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 fall season:
- Wild coho must be released.
- All steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31.
- Permanent rules for size limits and retention of jacks are in place:
- Between Buoy 10 and the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line, adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches and adult coho are 16-inches and longer.
- Between Buoy 10 and the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line, jack retention is prohibited through September 30; Chinook jacks are not allowed if the retention of adult Chinook is closed.
- Between Tongue Point/Rocky Point and west Puget Island, adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches and adult coho are longer than 20-inches.
- Between Tongue Point/Rocky Point and west Puget Island, the retention of coho jacks (12–20-inches) and Chinook jacks (12–24-inches) is alloweda when retention of adult fish of those species is allowed.
- The Tongue Point/Rocky Point line is 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.
- Additional regulations:
- September 12–30: Retention of Chinook and hatchery coho allowed. The daily adult bag limit is three salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
- October 1-31: Retention of hatchery coho allowed. All Chinook must be released. The daily adult bag limit is three hatchery coho.
- November 1 – December 31: Retention of hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead allowed. All Chinook must be released. The daily adult bag limit is two hatchery salmon/steelhead (coho and steelhead only).
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 fall season:
- Wild coho must be released.
- All steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31.
- Permanent rules for size limits and jack retention regulations are in place:
- Adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches and adult coho are longer than 20-inches.
- Retention of Chinook (12–24 inches) and coho (12–20 inches) jack salmon alloweda when retention of adults of those species is allowed.
- Additional regulations by date period:
- September 12–19: Salmon/steelhead angling prohibited.
- September 20–30: Retention of Chinook and hatchery coho allowed. The daily adult bag limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
- October 1–31: Retention of hatchery coho allowed; all Chinook must be released. The daily adult bag limit is two hatchery coho.
- November 1 – December 31: Retention of hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead allowed; all Chinook must be released. The daily adult bag limit is two hatchery salmon/steelhead (coho or steelhead only).
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 fall season:
- Wild coho must be released.
- All steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31.
- Permanent rules for size limits and jack retention regulations are in place:
- Adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches and adult coho are longer than 20-inches.
- Retention of Chinook (12–24 inches) and coho (12–20 inches) jack salmon alloweda when retention of adults of those species is allowed.
- Additional regulations by date period:
- August 1 – September 30: Retention of Chinook and hatchery coho allowed. The daily adult bag limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
- October 1–31: Retention of hatchery coho allowed; all Chinook must be released. The daily adult bag limit is two hatchery coho.
- November 1 – December 31: Retention of hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead allowed; all Chinook must be released. The daily adult bag limit is two hatchery salmon/steelhead (coho or steelhead only).
Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Damb
- General regulations during fall season:
- Only hatchery coho (adults and jacks) may be retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge.
- All steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31.
- Permanent rules for size limits and jack retention regulations are in place:
- Adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches and adult coho are longer than 20-inches.
- Retention of Chinook (12–24 inches) and coho (12–20 inches) jack salmon alloweda when retention of adults of those species is allowed.
- Additional regulations by date period:
- August 1 – September 30: Retention of Chinook and hatchery coho allowed downstream of the Hood River Bridge. Retention of Chinook and coho allowed upstream of the Hood River Bridge. The daily adult bag limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
- October 1–31: The retention of coho is allowed; all Chinook must be released. The daily adult bag limit is two coho.
- November 1 – December 31: Retention coho and hatchery steelhead allowed; all Chinook must be released. The daily adult bag limit is two salmon/steelhead (coho or steelhead only).
The Dalles Dam upstream to the Oregon/Washington border (upstream of McNary Dam)b
- General regulations during fall season:
- All steelhead must be released September 1 – December 31.
- Permanent rules for size limits and jack retention regulations are in place:
- Adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches and adult coho are longer than 20-inches.
- Retention of Chinook (12–24 inches) and coho (12–20 inches) jack salmon alloweda when retention of adults of those species is allowed.
- Additional regulations by date period:
- September 1–30: Retention of Chinook and coho allowed. The daily adult bag limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
- October 1 – December 31: The retention of coho is allowed; all Chinook must be released. The daily adult bag limit is two coho.
a The daily bag limit for jack salmon in Oregon is five fish.
COLUMBIA RIVER COMPACT ACTION NOTICES