Columbia Zone

Regulation Updates as of August 19, 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.

Fall Seasons (August 1-December 31)

For all fall-season salmonid fisheries, 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.

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 August 1 – December 31:  1) adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches; 2) adult coho are 16-inches and longer if caught downstream of the Tongue Point – Rocky Point line (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), and adult coho are longer than 20-inches if caught upstream of the Tongue Point – Rocky Point line; 3) wild coho must be released; 4) all steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31; and 5) retention of jack salmon prohibited through September 30 downstream of the Tongue Point – Rocky Point line, but is allowed^a beginning August 1 upstream of the Tongue Point – Rocky Point line.

• Additional regulations by date period are described below:
  • August 1 – 24:  Retention of adipose fin-clipped Chinook and hatchery coho allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
  • August 25 – September 7:  Retention of Chinook and hatchery coho allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
  • September 8 – 30:  Retention of hatchery coho allowed.  All Chinook must be released.  The daily adult bag limit is three hatchery coho.
  • October 1 – 31:  Retention of Chinook and hatchery coho allowed. The daily adult bag limit is three salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
  • November 1 – December 31:  Retention of Chinook, hatchery coho, and hatchery steelhead allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is three salmonids, but only one may be a Chinook and only two may be steelhead.

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 August 1 – December 31:  1) adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches, 2) adult coho are longer than 20-inches, 3) wild coho must be released, 4) all steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31, 5) retention of jack salmon allowed ^a, 6) salmonid angling closed when Chinook retention is prohibited.

• Additional regulations by date period are described below:
  • August 1 – September 7:  Retention of Chinook and hatchery coho allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
  • September 8 – 30:  Salmonid angling prohibited.
  • October 1 – October 31:  Retention of Chinook and hatchery coho allowed. The daily adult bag limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
  • November 1 – December 31:  Retention of Chinook, hatchery coho, and hatchery steelhead allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is two salmonids, but only one may be a Chinook.

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 August 1 – December 31:  1) adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches, 2) adult coho are longer than 20-inches, 3) wild coho must be released, 4) all steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31, 5) retention of jack salmon allowed ^a, 6) salmonid angling closed when Chinook retention is prohibited.

• Additional regulations by date period are described below:
  • August 1 – September 13:  Retention of Chinook and hatchery coho allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
  • September 14 – 30:  Salmonid angling prohibited.
  • October 1 – October 31:  Retention of Chinook and hatchery coho allowed. The daily adult bag limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
  • November 1 – December 31:  Retention of Chinook, hatchery coho, and hatchery steelhead allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is two salmonids, but only one may be a Chinook. 

Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam ^b

General regulations during August 1 – December 31:  1) adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches, 2) adult coho are longer than 20-inches, 3) only hatchery coho (adults and jacks) may be retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge, 4) all steelhead must be released August 1 – October 31, and 5) retention of jack salmon allowed ^a.

• Additional regulations by date period are described below:
  • August 1 – October 31:  Retention of Chinook and coho allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is two salmon, but only one may be a Chinook.
  • November 1 – December 31:  Retention of Chinook, coho, and hatchery steelhead allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is two salmonids, but only one may be a Chinook. 

The Dalles Dam upstream to Hwy 395 Bridge (Pasco, WA) ^b

General regulations during August 1 – December 31:  1) adult Chinook are longer than 24-inches, 2) adult coho are longer than 20-inches, 3) all steelhead must be released September 1 – December 31, and 4) retention of jack salmon allowed ^a.

• Additional regulations by date period are described below:
  • August 1 – 31:  Retention of Chinook, coho, and hatchery steelhead allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is two salmonids, but only one may be a Chinook and only one may be a hatchery steelhead.
  • September 1 – December 31:  Retention of Chinook and coho allowed.  The daily adult bag limit is two salmonids, but only one may be a Chinook. 

^a The daily bag limit for jack salmon in Oregon is five fish.

^b Temporary rules for Thermal Angling Sanctuaries associated with Eagle Creek, Herman Creek, and the Deschutes River are described below.

Summer/Fall Columbia River Thermal Angling Sanctuaries (Eagle Cr., Herman Cr., Deschutes River) in Columbia Zone

Permanent regulations and/or new temporary rules apply for other sections of these tributaries.

Eagle Creek Mouth (Columbia River Zone)

Area definition: The mainstem Columbia River adjacent to the mouth of Eagle Creek from the mainline railroad bridge northwest to a line projecting from a marker on the Oregon shore approximately 200 feet downstream of Eagle Creek, through red navigation buoy #4, and terminating at a marker on the Oregon shore approximately 325 feet upstream of Eagle Creek.

• June 16 – July 14:  See rules for Columbia River mainstem from Bonneville Dam to The Dalles Dam.
• July 15 – September 15:  Closed to angling.
• September 16 – December 31: See rules for Columbia River mainstem from Bonneville Dam to The Dalles Dam.

Herman Creek (Columbia River Zone)

Area definition: From the mainline railroad bridge downstream to markers at mouth.

• June 16 – July 14:  See rules for Columbia River mainstem from Bonneville Dam to The Dalles Dam.
• July 15 – November 30:  Closed to angling.
• December 1–31:  See rules for Columbia River mainstem from Bonneville Dam to The Dalles Dam.

Herman Creek Lagoon (Columbia River Zone)

Area definition: Herman Creek Lagoon/Cove east of a line from the northwest tip of the jetty, south to a marker on the Oregon shore.

• June 16 – July 14:  See rules for Columbia River mainstem from Bonneville Dam to The Dalles Dam.
• July 15 – September 15:  Closed to angling.
• September 16 – December 31:  See rules for Columbia River mainstem from Bonneville Dam to The Dalles Dam.

Deschutes River Mouth (Columbia River Zone)

Area definition:  The mainstem Columbia River adjacent to the mouth of the Deschutes River from the Interstate 84 Bridge north to a line projecting from the flashing red navigation marker #2 located approximately 1.5 miles downstream of the Deschutes River mouth on the Oregon shore, upstream to the red navigation marker #4, then to the lower South Channel Range “B” marker located on the Oregon shore approximately 0.7 mile upstream of the Deschutes River mouth.

• June 16 – July 14:  See rules for Columbia River mainstem from The Dalles Dam upstream to Hwy 395 Bridge (Pasco, WA).
• July 15 – September 15:  Closed to angling.
• September 16 – December 31: See rules for Columbia River mainstem from The Dalles Dam upstream to Hwy 395 Bridge (Pasco, WA).

Sturgeon

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

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Buoy 10 to Wauna Powerlines

• Permanent rules for sturgeon are in effect, including closed to the retention of sturgeon (see e-regulations). Catch-and-release fishing is allowed.

COLUMBIA RIVER MAINSTEM, Wauna Powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam

Area definition: From the Wauna powerlines (River Mile 40) upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline, including the Cowlitz River (WA).

• 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 Saturday, September 10, Wednesday September 14, and Saturday September 17 (three days).
  • 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 in sanctuary closure areas during May 1-August 31.  All other permanent rules apply.

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