Salmon head upstream at a viewing window in the Bonneville Dam. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on May 31, 2024, announced forecasts for summer and fall chinook, sockeye, and coho will allow opportunity for anglers to target these fish.

Oregon and Washington fishery managers have finalized preseason planning for 2024 Columbia River summer and fall recreational salmon and steelhead fisheries.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on Friday, May 31, announced forecasts for summer and fall chinook, sockeye, and coho will allow opportunity for anglers to target these fish. The planned 2024 fall-season fisheries are primarily limited by the expected harvest of upriver bright fall chinook, which is subject to catch-sharing agreements with the Columbia River treaty tribes under the U.S. v. OR Management Agreement. As has been the case in recent years, added protections are also necessary for Endangered Species Act-listed Lower Columbia River fall chinook and summer steelhead.

For the summer, retention of adult hatchery chinook, hatchery steelhead, and sockeye will open June 16 from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco. Due to the summer chinook forecast of 52,600 adults (similar to last year’s actual return) and allocation guidance, adult chinook retention will only be open from June 16-19 in the area downstream of Bonneville Dam and from June 16-30 upstream of Bonneville Dam. However, the sockeye return is forecast to be 401,700 (about 20% higher than last year’s actual return) and the retention of sockeye and hatchery steelhead is expected to remain open through the end of July. The daily adult bag limit during the summer season is two adult salmon/steelhead, but only one may be a hatchery steelhead, and all sockeye are considered adults.

This year’s adult fall chinook forecast of 551,800 fish and the Columbia River coho forecast of 279,900 adults are both lower than their returns last year. chinook and coho retention seasons start Aug. 1 and vary by river section. This year’s regulations include additional measures, such as mark-selective (adipose fin-clipped only) retention rules for chinook in the Buoy 10 and lower river fisheries and salmon/steelhead angling closures upstream of west Puget Island when chinook retention is prohibited. These are intended to help manage fishery impacts to ESA-listed stocks and to increase the stability of the planned season structure.

“While fall salmon forecasts are down a little this year, we have been able to work with our co-managers and the public to craft some excellent fishing opportunities for this fall season. If an in-season review of the upriver bright chinook stock indicates a return higher than the pre-season forecast, we may be able to provide chinook opportunity beyond the preseason plans,” according to Jeff Whisler, ODFW’s Columbia River fisheries manager.

The preseason forecast of 126,200 upriver summer steelhead is slightly higher than last year’s return but still represents a poor return relative to historic levels. In recognition of the expected low abundance, anglers will see conservative retention regulations again in 2024, similar to recent years. Hatchery steelhead retention will be allowed June 16 to July 31 from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to The Dalles Dam and June 16 through Aug. 31 from The Dalles Dam upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco with a reduced bag limit of one fish. After retention of summer steelhead closes in each area, it is expected to remain closed through the end of the year; however, winter steelhead retention will open under permanent regulations beginning Nov. 1 downstream of The Dalles Dam.

Protective regulations also include thermal angling sanctuaries in Eagle Creek, Herman Creek and the Deschutes River as well as in the Columbia River near the mouths of these tributaries . The John Day Arm (lower John Day River, downstream of Tumwater Falls) also will be closed to angling for salmon and steelhead from Sept. 1 through the end of the year.

Detailed preseason regulations with season dates and bag limits by area are available at shorturl.at/UEw5c (see 2024 Preseason Summer and Fall Columbia River Recreational Fishery Regulations). Regulations are subject to change based on in-season information on abundance and fishery performance. Anglers should check regulation ipdates for their zone before fishing.

For more information about Columbia River fishing seasons, visit ODFW’s online fishing reports at shorturl.at/hO14b. Summer and fall season regulations also will be posted at this link before the season begins.