Fishing for salmon, steelhead to close from mouth of Columbia River to Pasco

October 20, 2016

October 20, 2016

Fishing for salmon, steelhead to close
from mouth of Columbia River to Pasco

Action: Fishing for salmon and steelhead will close Oct. 22 on the mainstem Columbia River from Buoy 10 near the mouth of the river upstream to the Hwy 395 Bridge near Pasco, Washington.

Species affected: Salmon and steelhead.

Effective dates: Oct. 22 through Dec. 31, 2016.

Location: Mainstem Columbia from Buoy 10 upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge.

Reason for action: Based on the most recent in-season run forecast, the non-treaty allocation of Upriver Bright (URB) fall chinook has been reached. The URB component of the run includes Snake River fall chinook, which are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Additional information: Allowable impact rates on listed chinook salmon stocks are based on a percentage of the total chinook run. The preseason forecast for the 2016 fall chinook run to the Columbia River was 960,200 fish, including an estimated 579,600 URB chinook. Based on actual returns, those projections have been reduced several times during the course of the season by the multi-jurisdictional Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). On Oct. 17, the TAC reduced its official forecast of the URB chinook run to 412,700, leaving no additional impacts available for the non-treaty fishery.

Information contact: (360) 696-6211. For latest information press *1010.

Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. Check the WDFW "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for details on definitions and regulations. Fishing rules are subject to change. Visit wdfw.wa.gov/fishing-hotlines to find a list of mobile, web, print, or customer service phone options for the latest rule information.

Request this information in an alternative format or language at wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/requests-accommodation, 833-885-1012, TTY (711), or CivilRightsTeam@dfw.wa.gov.