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Portions of the Columbia River below the Bonneville Dam will soon be closed to all salmon fishing, fisheries officials from Oregon and Washington said Thursday.
The closure is due to higher than expected catch rates of lower Tule River chinook, which are listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Starting Saturday, all salmon and rainbow trout fisheries will be closed from Tongue Point near Astoria, Oregon, to Warrior Rock near St. Helens, Oregon.
As of Tuesday, the closure will extend from Warrior Rock to the Bonneville Dam.
“It is extremely disappointing to have to close these areas. The fishing has been pretty good, but unfortunately with that the Chinook tule allocation available for these areas has been exhausted, â€said Tucker Jones, director of the Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, in a statement. Press release. “Custody is our first responsibility, and we need to do what we can to ensure that we don’t have a negative impact on this listed stock.
“The coho and chinook upstream are doing well and are a positive for the Columbia River runs this year. We will continue to monitor and update returns of fish and, if possible, will endeavor to reopen these areas to salmon fishing as soon as possible, â€Jones added.
The Chinook Salmon containment was closed last week at Buoy 10 at the mouth of the Columbia River.
Coho fishing remains open from buoy 10 to Tongue Point.
The white sturgeon retention will also open upstream of the Wauna power lines on two Saturdays, September 11 and 18.
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