For Washington salmon anglers, there is some bad news: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has been canceled Upper Columbia sockeye season For this year. While pre-season sockeye salmon forecasts indicate this will be done this year, preliminary salmon return data shows otherwise. WDFW fisheries managers estimate that the return of adult sockeye salmon to Bonneville Dam will be less than half of the pre-season forecast of 275,000 fish based on current size information.
“Sockeye returns are tracking well below what fisheries managers had forecast prior to the season, which means fewer fish are available to support the fishery in the Columbia River system,” said Quinton Dougherty, WDFW Acting Columbia River Fisheries Manager. “These closures and reductions represent a precautionary, in-season adjustment designed to align the fishery with current return data while preserving flexibility if conditions change as the run evolves.”
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So for now, WDFW officials have not scheduled a sockeye season for the upper Columbia River, but it is likely to be considered later this summer if the numbers of returning salmon improve. But currently, the rate of sockeye passing through Bonneville Dam is insufficient to support salmon harvests throughout much of the Columbia River. Therefore, to protect the future of the fishery, the few fish that have made it this far should be allowed to spawn so that there will be enough salmon to support future seasons.
“We understand that fishermen on the Upper Columbia are disappointed with these closures,” said Chad Jackson, North Central Region Fish Program Manager. “A cautious approach gives us the best chance to preserve future fishing opportunity while we learn more about the size of sockeye returns. If the run develops to harvestable levels, we expect the most additional opportunity will be in the upper Columbia River above the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco.”
Eugene L.
Writer for All Outdoors.com and OutdoorHub.com Lifelong fisherman who will fish for anything that swims, firearms enthusiast and hunter. Instagram – mrfish49
