ODFW News Release
For Immediate Release
April 23, 2003

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Columbia River below I-5 remains open through Saturday

PORTLAND — Oregon and Washington fishery managers Tuesday kept open the spring chinook season in the Columbia River below the Interstate 5 Bridge through Saturday, but said the fishery may close next week.

A decision will be made Monday, April 28, after biologists reassess the size of the salmon run destined for areas above Bonneville Dam. The most recent forecast estimated 193,000 ‘upriver’ spring chinook and 109,800 Willamette stock would enter the Columbia this year.

The mainstem Columbia River remains open to angling for adipose fin-clipped salmon, adipose fin-clipped steelhead, and shad from the mouth at Buoy 10 upstream to the Interstate 5 Bridge Wednesday through Saturday.

The Columbia River sport and commercial fisheries are managed to limit impacts to wild fish listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. Anglers may harvest only those fish that are marked as hatchery-bred with a missing adipose fin. However, some unmarked wild fish suffer a delayed mortality as a result of being handled. The allowed impact is being reached.

Oregon fishery managers remind spring chinook anglers that the season remains open in the lower Willamette River seven days per week. Fishing conditions and angler success have been excellent in the past week.

Additional information may be found in the 2003 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.