March 9, 2001

Anglers may keep adipose fin-clipped
hatchery spring chinook on the lower
mainstem Columbia through April

Action: Anglers on the mainstem Columbia from the mouth upstream to Bonneville Dam will be able to keep adipose fin-clipped chinook, adipose fin clipped steelhead, and shad from March 12 through April 30. The adipose fin-clipped fish must have a healed scar at the location of the missing fin. Anglers will be able to keep up to 6 adipose fin clipped chinook, no more than of which 2 may be adults (over 24" in length). Minimum size is 12". In addition, anglers will be allowed to keep 2 adipose fin clipped steelhead, minimum size 20". All chinook and steelhead with adipose fins intact must be immediately released unharmed. There is no limit for shad in Washington.

Effective date: The Fishing Rule Change will be in effect from March 12 through April 30.

Through March 11, the mainstem Columbia from the I-5 Bridge downstream is open to fishing for salmon and hatchery steelhead under permanent regulations.

Species affected: Hatchery spring chinook, hatchery steelhead and shad.

Location: The mainstem Columbia from the Buoy 10 line upstream to 600 feet below the fish ladder at the new Bonneville Dam powerhouse.

Reason for action: This year's upper Columbia River spring chinook return is expected to be 364,600, the largest run since records began with the construction of Bonneville Dam in 1938.

Other Information: The Columbia River Treaty tribes and the states of Washington and Oregon and the federal agencies recently reached an agreement on an unprecedented multi-year plan that established conservation goals for weak wild salmon stocks on the Columbia and Snake rivers. With the use of selective sport fishery option, conservation goals to rebuild weak wild stocks will be met while allowing harvest of hatchery origin spring chinook. This year's strong return should offer the best sport fishing opportunity for spring chinook in the lower mainstem Columbia since the late 1970s.