Recreation Report
Columbia Zone
Recreation Report
Sept. 20, 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 (9/16) flight, there were 969 salmonid boats and 52 Oregon bank anglers counted from Bonneville Dam downstream to Tongue Point.
Gorge:
Weekly checking showed 112 Chinook, three jack Chinook, three coho, and two jack coho kept, and four Chinook, one jack Chinook, and four coho released for 84 boats (229 anglers.
Troutdale:
Weekly checking showed 328 Chinook, 42 jack Chinook, 26 coho, and two jack coho kept, and 14 Chinook, one jack Chinook, 11 coho, and two jack coho released for 389 boats (846 anglers).
Portland to Sauvie Island:
Weekly checking showed 230 Chinook, 36 jack Chinook, 22 coho, and two jack coho kept, and 31 Chinook, four jack Chinook, and 19 coho released for 309 boats (678 anglers).
Sauvie Island to Rainier:
Weekly checking showed 118 Chinook, 21 jack Chinook, 61 coho, and five jack coho kept, and nine Chinook, one jack Chinook, 41 coho, and one coho jack released for 138 boats (342 anglers).
Rainier to West Puget Island:
Weekly checking showed one Chinook and one Chinook jack kept for two boats (four anglers).
West Puget Island to Tongue Point:
No report.
Buoy 10:
Weekly checking showed 49 Chinook and 209 coho kept, and 25 Chinook, 275 coho, and one steelhead released for 298 boats (820 anglers); and 0.32 coho kept per bank angler.
Bonneville Pool (Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam):
Weekly checking showed 304 Chinook, 25 jack Chinook, and six coho kept, and 48 Chinook and one coho jack released for 204 boats (596 anglers); and no catch for three bank anglers.
The Dalles Pool (The Dalles Dam upstream to John Day Dam):
Weekly checking showed 24 Chinook, nine jack Chinook, and two coho kept, and one Chinook and one steelhead released for 57 boats (146 anglers).
John Day Pool (Columbia River above John Day Dam and John Day Arm):
Weekly checking showed three Chinook and one jack Chinook for 11 boats (26 anglers).
Sturgeon
Lower Columbia River (below Bonneville Dam):
Closed to retention. No report.
Bonneville Pool:
Weekly checking showed 23 sublegal, 10 legal, and two oversized sturgeon released for two boats (three anglers).
The Dalles Pool:
Weekly checking showed seven legal sized sturgeon released for one boat (five 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:
Weekly checking showed four walleye kept for four boats (10 anglers).
John Day Pool:
Weekly checking showed 49 walleye kept, and 18 walleye released for 12 boats (27 anglers); and one walleye kept for one bank angler.
