the film forum library tutorial contact DONATE

Salmon Anglers Get More Room to Fish from Boats: to Bonneville by Bill Monroe The Oregonian, May 27, 2015

Oregon and Washington will open the lower Columbia River Saturday to salmon fishing from boats between Beacon Rock and Bonneville Dam.

That section had been closed to fishing from boats, but open on the bank. It's an area where migrating salmon concentrate before moving over the dam's ladders.

Biologists said the 2015 spring chinook run is now expected to be 260,000 fish. Dam counts have been running about 2,000 fish per day.

The states also reopened sport salmon fishing from Bonneville Dam to the Oregon/Washington border, starting Thursday. Both openings last through June 15 and fishing for summer chinook begins riverwide June 16.

The daily bag limit remains one fin-clipped spring chinook per day throughout the river through June 15.

Sturgeon retention in the John Day Reservoir will close June 3.

Willamette Falls spring chinook count was 33,414 through May 13, more than twice the five-year average count for that date.

Commercial gill-net seasons were set below Bonneville (non-tribal) and above (tribal). Non-tribal netters said many of their number may not participate because they're getting ready to work in Alaska.

Netting below Bonneville will be Wednesday evening.