Columbia Zone

Regulation Updates as of May 11, 2022.

All regulations may be subject to in-season modification. Please see e-regulations for permanent regulations.

Salmon, steelhead and shad

• Barbless Hooks are required when angling for salmon, steelhead, or trout in the mainstem Columbia River under permanent regulations.
• All other permanent rules for the Columbia River Zone, as stated in the 2022 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (see e-regulations), remain in effect unless modified below.

Spring Seasons (through June 15)

Buoy 10 upstream to Tongue Point/Rocky Point line

• Permanent regulations in effect including closed to salmon and steelhead. Shad retention is allowed effective May 16 (see e-regulations).

Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to Bonneville Dam:

• Effective Thursday May 12 – Sunday May 22 and Tuesday May 24 – Wednesday June 15: the following temporary modifications to open area, retention, and daily bag limits apply:
  • Open Area: Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to Beacon Rock (boat and bank) plus bank angling only from Beacon Rock upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline.
    • Legal upstream boat boundary defined as: A deadline marker on the Oregon bank (approximately four miles downstream from Bonneville Dam Powerhouse One) in a straight line through the western tip of Pierce Island to a deadline marker on the Washington bank at Beacon Rock
  • Retention allowed: open for hatchery Chinook (adults and jacks) and hatchery steelhead. Shad may also be retained.
  • Daily adult bag limit: two adult hatchery salmonids (Chinook or steelhead) per day, but only one may be a Chinook.
  • All other permanent rules apply (see e-regulations), including daily bag limits for jack salmon.
• Permanent regulations are in effect Monday May 23, including the following:
  • Tongue Point upstream to the I-5 Bridge: this area is open for hatchery Chinook jacks and hatchery steelhead (see e-regulations).
  • I-5 Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam: this area is closed to salmon (adults and jacks) and steelhead. 
  • Shad retention is allowed effective May 16 from Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam.

Bonneville Dam upstream to the Oregon-Washington border above McNary Dam

• Permanent regulations are in effect for this area including closed to salmon and steelhead (see e-regulations), except for the following: 
  • Effective Thursday May 26 and Saturday May 28 (2 days): the following temporary modifications to open area, retention, and daily bag limits apply:
    • Open Area: Tower Island power lines (approximately six miles below The Dalles Dam) upstream to Oregon/Washington border, plus the Oregon and Washington banks between Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island power lines.
    • Retention allowed: open for hatchery Chinook (adults and jacks) and hatchery steelhead. Shad remains open under permanent rule.
    • Daily bag limit: two adult hatchery salmonids (Chinook or steelhead) per day, but only one may be a Chinook.
  • All other permanent rules apply, including catch limits for jack salmon.

• Shad remains open year-round under permanent rules.

Select Area Recreational Salmon Fisheries

• Effective March 1, 2022-June 15, 2022: on days when the mainstem Columbia River recreational fishery below Bonneville Dam is open to retention of Chinook, the salmonid daily adult bag limit in Oregon and Washington Select Areas will be the same as mainstem Columbia River bag limits (see Buoy 10 to Bonneville Dam).

On days when the mainstem Columbia River recreational fishery below Bonneville Dam is closed to Chinook retention, the permanent salmonid adult bag limit regulations for Select Areas apply.

Summer Seasons (June 16-July 31)

Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam

• Retention of sockeye is prohibited.
• Retention of adult hatchery Chinook allowed June 16–22.
• Retention of hatchery steelhead is allowed.
• The daily adult bag limit is two salmonids during June 16–22, but only one may be a hatchery steelhead. The daily adult bag limit is one hatchery steelhead during June 23 – July 31.
• Retention of hatchery jack Chinook allowed. The daily bag limit for jack salmon in Oregon is five fish.

Bonneville Dam upstream to Hwy 395 Bridge (Pasco, WA)

• Retention of sockeye is prohibited.
• Retention of hatchery Chinook (adults and jacks) and hatchery steelhead allowed.
• The daily adult bag limit is two salmonids, but only one may be a hatchery steelhead. The daily bag limit for jack salmon in Oregon is five fish.

Sturgeon

See 2022 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for legal size, daily and annual bag limits and sanctuary closure areas.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Buoy 10 upstream to Wauna Powerlines

• Area definition: From the Wauna powerlines (River Mile 40) downstream to the mouth at Buoy 10, including Youngs Bay; and all adjacent Washington tributaries.

• Permanent rules for sturgeon are in effect, including closed to the retention of sturgeon, except for the following modifications:
  • This area will be open to retention of white sturgeon on Wednesdays and Saturdays during May 11, 2022 through June 4, 2022 plus Monday May 30 (9 retention days: May 11, May 14, May 18, May 21, May 25, May 28, May 30, June 1, and June 4).
  • On days open to white sturgeon retention, angling for sturgeon is prohibited after 2 PM, including catch and release.
  • Daily bag limit is one white sturgeon, 44-50 inches fork length (fork length is measured in a straight line from the tip of the nose to the fork in the caudal fin (tail) with the fish laying on its side on a flat surface, with the tape measure/ruler positioned flat under the fish).
• Annual bag limit is two white sturgeon (applicable to any/all 2022 retention fisheries).
• Retention of green sturgeon prohibited.
• Catch-and-release fishing is allowed except after 2 PM on open retention days listed above.  All other permanent rules apply.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Wauna Powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam

• Permanent rules for sturgeon are in effect, including closed to the retention of sturgeon (see e-regulations). Catch-and-release fishing is allowed except in sanctuary closure areas during May 1-August 31.

COLUMBIA RIVER RESERVOIRS, between Bonneville Dam and McNary Dam (Bonneville Pool, The Dalles Pool, John Day Pool)

• Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools, including adjacent tributaries, are closed to the retention of white sturgeon. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed except in sanctuary closure areas during May 1-August 31.

COLUMBIA RIVER COMPACT ACTION NOTICES

COLUMBIA RIVER MANAGEMENT FACT SHEETS

COLUMBIA RIVER INFORMATION

COLUMBIA RIVER DAM COUNTS