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2015 Spring Chinook Salmon Season Turning Out To Be Surprisingly Long-lived by Columbia Basin Bulletin Chinook Observer, May 8, 2015

More-than-expected spring Chinook passing Bonneville Dam prompts additional fishing opportunities

With spring Chinook salmon passing Bonneville Dam in higher numbers than expected, fish managers from Washington and Oregon this week agreed to extend the fishing season on the Columbia River for miles below and above the dam.

The decision to extend the fishery was based on a new annual run forecast of 241,000 adult upriver fish past Bonneville Dam -- 8,500 more than originally projected, said Ron Roler, Columbia River policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"This is definitely turning out to be a great year for spring Chinook fishing on the Columbia River," Roler said. "We are now confident that the run will not only meet -- but exceed -- the pre-season forecast, which allows us to make more fish available for the harvest."

Year-to-date 162,939 adult spring Chinook have been counted passing Bonneville Dam. After a flurry of fish on April 30 -- 13,676 fish -- numbers have dropped at Bonneville to: May 1, 6140 fish; May 2, 2940 fish; May 3, 2623 fish; May 4, 3198 fish; May 5, 3199 fish; May 6, 3013 fish; May 7, 2694 fish.

Year-to-date (May 7) adult spring Chinook passage at McNary Dam is 103,167 fish.

In the lower river, the fishery will reopen Saturday, May 9, for one day, and again from May 16 through June 15 from the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upriver to Beacon Rock for boat and bank anglers. Bank anglers can also fish farther upriver to the fishing boundary below Bonneville Dam.

Above the dam, the current fishery will continue for four extra days through May 10 from the Tower Island power lines to the Washington/Oregon state line, 17 miles upriver from McNary Dam. Bank anglers can also fish upriver from Bonneville Dam to the Tower Island power lines during that time.

In both sections of the mainstem Columbia River, anglers can retain one hatchery adult Chinook salmon as part of their daily catch limit. Any wild salmon or steelhead with an intact adipose fin must be immediately released unharmed.

Unlike waters above Bonneville Dam, the lower river has been closed to spring Chinook fishing since May 4. Roler said fishery managers agreed to open the lower river May 9 for one day, and will provide several weeks of additional fishing opportunities starting May 16 to coincide with the opening of the steelhead fishery.

"That makes sense, because it also brings the fishery up to the start of the summer Chinook season on June 16," Roler said. "With this year's strong spring Chinook run, anglers will be able to move from one salmon fishery to the next without skipping a beat."

In addition, a treaty spring gillnet commercial fishery was set for Tuesday May 12 until Friday May 15 in Zone 6 -- Bonneville Dam upstream to McNary Dam.

Salmon, steelhead, shad, walleye, carp, catfish, bass, and yellow perch may be sold or kept for subsistence. Sturgeon between 43-54 inches fork length harvested in The Dalles or John Day Pools and sturgeon between 38-54 inches fork length in the Bonneville pool may not be sold but may be kept for subsistence.

Also, a non-Indian gillnet commercial fishery in the lower Columbia was set for Wednesday (May 6) from 4 p.m. until 6 a.m. Thursday, May 7.

Meanwhile, fisheries managers on Wednesday decided to close spring Chinook fishing on the Snake River below Ice Harbor and Little Goose dams, but keep unchanged fishing in the Lower Granite and Clarkston areas.

Snake River fishery zones to close:

• Below Ice Harbor Dam: Effective immediately, Snake River from the South Bound Highway 12 Bridge near Pasco upstream about 7 miles to the fishing restriction boundary below Ice Harbor Dam;

• Below Little Goose Dam: Effective 1 hour after official sunset on Saturday May 9, Snake River from Texas Rapids boat launch (south side of the river upstream of the mouth of Tucannon River) to the fishing restriction boundary below Little Goose Dam. This zone includes the rock and concrete area between the juvenile bypass return pipe and Little Goose Dam along the south shoreline of the facility (includes the walkway area locally known as "the wall" in front of the juvenile collection facility);

• Below Lower Granite Dam: Snake River from the south shore boat launch (Ilia Boat Launch) across to the mouth of Almota Creek upstream about four miles to the restricted fishing area below Lower Granite Dam.

• Clarkston: Snake River from the downstream edge of the large power lines crossing the Snake River (just upstream from West Evans Road on the south shore) upstream about 3.5 miles to the Washington state line (from the east levee of the Greenbelt boat launch in Clarkston northwest across the Snake River to the WA / ID boundary waters marker on the Whitman County shore).

Area C (below Lower Granite Dam) will be open only Sunday through Tuesday each week until further notice.

Area D (near Clarkston) open Thursday, May 7, and will be open only Thursday through Saturday each week until further notice.

Daily limits are six hatchery Chinook (adipose fin clipped), of which no more than one may be an adult Chinook salmon. For all areas open for Chinook salmon harvest, anglers must cease fishing when the hatchery adult limit has been retained for the day.

During these fisheries, possession limits for spring Chinook salmon will be increased to allow three daily limits in fresh form.

Fishery managers say the reason for this action is that, "Based on current harvest estimates, and anticipated harvest through Tuesday, May 5, an estimated 1,200 adult hatchery Chinook are expected to have been harvested. Monday, May 4, the upriver spring Chinook run was updated to 241,000 fish. In an effort to share fishing opportunity and harvest, the lower two fishery zones (where most harvest has occurred) will close and the upper two zones will remain open on a three day rotating basis until further notice. In an effort to promote this fishery as a destination fishing opportunity, this rule will allow anglers to possess a reasonable amount of fish during their stay."

According to the Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife joint staff report for May 5:

• River conditions are warmer and clearer than recent five and ten year averages. Current outflow at Bonneville Dam was measured at 191.5 kcfs on May 4 which is 70-90 kcfs lower than recent five- and ten-year averages respectively. Water temperatures have been approximately two to three degrees above normal and currently measure 55 degrees F.

• Bonneville Dam passage through May 4 totals 154,033 adult Chinook. The U.S. v. Oregon Technical Advisory Committee met May 4 to review the status of the upriver spring Chinook run and provided an in-season run update of 241,000 adult fish to the Columbia River.

• Adult spring Chinook passage at Willamette Falls through April 30 totals 17,686 fish, well above the five-year average cumulative passage to date of 6,012 fish. The five-year average 50 percent passage date is May 21.

• Three mainstem commercial salmon fishing periods have occurred to date (31 hours total). Landings from the first two periods totaled 1,737 adult Chinook. Landings from the third period (May 4) are still being calculated, but appear to be within expectations at around 1,280 Chinook. Kept and release mortalities of upriver Chinook is estimated at 2,436 fish, or 54 percent of the current allocation of 4,493 fish.

• Select Area fisheries are ongoing and expected to continue through June 13. Combined winter-spring landings through May 3 total 3,173 Chinook. Upriver Chinook mortalities total 273 compared to the current allocation of 362 fish.

• The lower Columbia River recreational Chinook fishery was open from January 1 through April 11, and was also open on April 16 and May 2-3. Catch estimates total 15,073 kept and 2,634 released adult fish from 107,634 angler trips. Kept and release mortalities of upriver Chinook is estimated at 11,686 fish, or 75 percent of the current allocation of 15,506 fish.

• The lower Columbia River from the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to the I-5 Bridge will open May 16 for hatchery steelhead and hatchery jack Chinook. Shad retention opens May 16 from Buoy 10 upstream to Bonneville Dam under permanent regulations.

• The recreational spring Chinook fishery from Bonneville Dam upstream to the Oregon/Washington border is scheduled to be open through May 6. Catch estimates through Sunday May 3 total 1,090 kept and 317 released adult fish. Kept and release mortalities of upriver Chinook is estimated at 1,122 fish. Catch projections for May 4-6 total 360 additional kept and release mortalities. The season total is estimated at 1,482 fish, or 72 percent of the current allocation of 2,068 fish.

• The recreational fisheries on the Snake River (Washington waters) are open on a days-per-week basis in four sections of the river. The fisheries are ongoing until the harvest allocation is met. Catch estimates through May 2 total 840 kept and 104 released adult fish. Kept and release mortalities of upriver Chinook is estimated at 850 fish or 52 percent of the current allocation of 1,627 fish.

• The Columbia River treaty tribes ceremonial permit fishery has been ongoing since the close of the Winter Gillnet Season in late March. Preliminary catch estimates through today total 7,598 adult Chinook.

• Yakama and Warm Springs have finished their ceremonial permits and the Umatilla and Nez Perce are reporting to still have permits fishing and are close to finishing.

• Under the current forecast run size the allowed harvest rate under the US v Oregon management agreement is 10%, which equates to an allowed catch of 24,100.

• Treaty catch of upriver spring Chinook through May 4 totals 13,467 fish, or 56 percent of allowed at the predicted 241,000 run size. Tribal fisheries have harvested less than 100 steelhead to date which is typical for this time of year.