The popular spring chinook salmon sport fishery in the lower Columbia River will remain open tomorrow (April 23) through Saturday, but then is expected to close for the season unless the run size increases significantly, Washington and Oregon fishery managers decided today.

Columbia River fishery managers will meet again next Monday to make a decision on the remainder of the sport chinook season for the section of the lower river from the Interstate 5 bridge downstream to Buoy 10 at the mouth of the river.

Earlier this month the state fishery managers closed fishing from the I-5 bridge to Bonneville Dam and trimmed back fishing to four days a week from the I-5 bridge downstream.

The modifications in the sport season were made to avoid exceeding the allowable impact on protected upriver spring chinook that was set in a 2001 management agreement.

Fishing within the upper Bonneville Pool and upstream to McNary Dam will remain open as scheduled in the previously adopted season.