July 26, 2023
Action: Temporarily closes all angling for sturgeon.
Effective date: Sat. July 29 through Friday Sept. 15, 2023
Species affected: White Sturgeon
Location: The Columbia River from The Dalles Dam upstream to Priest Rapids Dam
Reason for action: To minimize stress to adult sturgeon, the department is temporarily closing catch-and-release fishing in all areas from The Dalles Dam upstream to Priest Rapids Dam. The closure is extended through September 15th, to provide relief through the spawning and post-spawning recovery period into the point where air and water temperatures are decreasing. WDFW recognizes that closing fishing won’t eliminate adult mortalities but hope it will help minimize the total number of dead sturgeon.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has received dozens of reports of dead adult sturgeon in the Columbia River. Most of these reports are from the John Day pool, with others coming from The Dalles pool, McNary pool, and the Hanford Reach.
Sturgeon mortalities are associated with the stressors of spawning as water temperature increases over the summer. Additionally, these areas are exhibiting decreased abundance and recruitment success, and WDFW is concerned about the negative impacts these adult mortalities will have on individual populations. The populations in these areas are small compared to those downstream in the lower Columbia River and Bonneville Pool.
Additional information: The Columbia River downstream of Bonneville pool remains open for catch-and-release fishing for sturgeon. Fishing for sturgeon at night is prohibited.
Information contact: Region 5 office; 360-696-6211 and Region 3 office; 509-575-2740