The following is a brief summary of emergency sport fishing regulations for the mainstem Columbia River and tributaries and southwest Washington lakes. Emergency rules listed below reflect emergency changes to the respective permanent rule listed in the current 2023/2024 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet. All other permanent rules listed in the pamphlet apply. Including minimum size, barbless hook, night closure and anti-snagging rule. Download or view the 2023-24 fishing regulation pamphlet.
Monday, April 29, 2024
Salmon and Steelhead
Mainstem Columbia River - Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam
- From Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam:
- No emergency regulations. Closed to fishing for and retention of salmon and steelhead.
Mainstem Columbia River from Bonneville Dam upstream to Hwy. 395 Bridge at Pasco:
- From Bonneville Dam upstream to the Tower Island power lines (approx. 6 miles below The Dalles Dam):
- Immediately through April 29, 2024: Daily limit 6, up to 2 adults may be retained of which no more than 1 may be an adult Chinook. Release all salmon and steelhead other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery steelhead.
- Fishing from a vessel is prohibited. Bank angling with hand-cast lines only.
- Effective April 30, 2024: Closed to fishing for and retention of salmon and steelhead.
- Immediately through April 29, 2024: Daily limit 6, up to 2 adults may be retained of which no more than 1 may be an adult Chinook. Release all salmon and steelhead other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery steelhead.
- From Tower Island power lines (approx. 6 miles below The Dalles Dam) upstream to The Dalles Dam:
- Immediately through April 29, 2024: Daily limit 6, up to 2 adults may be retained of which no more than 1 may be an adult Chinook. Release all salmon and steelhead other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery steelhead.
- Effective April 30, 2024: Closed to fishing for and retention of salmon and steelhead.
- From a line starting from a fishing boundary sign on the Washington north shore located approx. 1300’ upstream of The Dalles Dam and Lock boat ramp projected easterly across the Columbia River to a boundary sign on the Washington southern shore located approx. 200’ above the fish ladder exit upstream to Hwy. 730 at the Washington/Oregon border:
- Immediately through April 29, 2024: Daily limit 6, up to 2 adults may be retained of which no more than 1 may be an adult Chinook. Release all salmon and steelhead other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery steelhead.
- Effective April 30, 2024: Closed to fishing for and retention of salmon and steelhead.
- From Hwy. 730 at the Washington/Oregon border upstream to Hwy. 395 Bridge at Pasco:
- No emergency rules. Closed to salmon and steelhead angling.
Columbia River Tributaries below Bonneville Dam and southwest Washington lakes:
- Cowlitz River: Immediately until further notice, the posted fishing boundary markers will be located at the 400-foot distance below the Barrier Dam.
- Immediately until further notice: from the mouth to the fishing boundary signs below the Barrier Dam, Salmon: Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6; up to 1 adult may be retained. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook jacks, adult Chinook with both an adipose and ventral fin clip with a healed scar, hatchery coho and hatchery steelhead.
- Kalama River: Immediately until further notice, from the mouth to 1,000 feet below the fishway at Kalama Falls hatchery: The daily salmon limit is 6 fish, of which only 1 may be an adult. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
- Salmon Creek: Immediately through May 24, 2024, from the mouth to the 182nd Avenue Bridge: Hatchery steelhead: Daily limit 3. Selective Gear Rules in effect, except use of barbed hooks is allowed.
Columbia River Tributaries between Bonneville and McNary Dams:
- Wind River: Effective March 16, 2024 until further notice, from the mouth to 800 yards downstream of Carson National Fish Hatchery: Salmon and hatchery steelhead: Daily limit 6; up to 1 adult salmon and 1 hatchery steelhead or up to 2 hatchery steelhead may be retained. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook and hatchery coho.
- Drano Lake: Effective March 16, 2024 until further notice, in the waters downstream of markers on the point of land downstream and across from Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery and upstream of the Highway 14 bridge: Salmon and hatchery steelhead: Daily limit 2, of which up to 1 may be an adult Chinook. Release all salmon other than hatchery Chinook.
- Klickitat River: Effective April 1 through May 22, 2024, from the mouth to Fisher Hill Bridge: Salmon and hatchery steelhead: Daily limit 2, of which up to 1 may be an adult salmon. Release wild Chinook. Open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays only.
- Klickitat River: Effective May 23, 2024 until further notice, from the mouth to boundary markers below Klickitat Salmon Hatchery, Salmon: closed.
Tributary Weir Report:
This section will provide operational status of the resistance board weirs run in Southwest WA. Current status as of Wednesday December 20, 2023.
- Grays River Weir - located upstream of the Highway 4 bridge ~.3 miles. Removed.
- Elochoman River Weir - located upstream of the Foster Road bridge ~.5 miles. Removed
- Coweeman River Weir – located at river mile 6.8 near the end of Allen Street in Kelso. Removed.
- South Fork Toutle Weir - located ~ 0.25 mile from the mouth with the NF Toutle. Removed.
- Green River Weir - located at the North Toutle Hatchery. Removed.
- Kalama River Weir - located at the Modrow Trap facility. Removed.
- Cedar Creek Weir – located 0.25 mile from the mouth with the NF Lewis. Removed.
- Washougal River Weir - located at the Fords Game Access Site. Removed.
Sturgeon
Statewide permanent rules:
- Fishing for sturgeon at night is closed.
- Sturgeon sanctuaries go into effect May 1 through August 31.
- During a retention period: Daily limit 1 fish, annual limit 2 fish.
- Oversize sturgeon, greater than 55” fork length, may not be removed totally or partially from the water.
- Retention of Green Sturgeon is prohibited.
Columbia River, from Buoy 10 upstream to McNary Dam:
- Columbia River, from Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam: Open for catch and release fishing only.
- Columbia River, from Bonneville Dam upstream to McNary Dam: Immediately through April 30, 2024: Open for catch and release fishing only.
Eulachon
- All areas: Closed to fishing and harvest.
Additional information regarding Cowlitz River Smelt fishing can be found online at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/smelt