Upcoming salmon and steelhead season not looking great on Columbia and Snake

Continued low returns of some Chinook salmon stocks are expected to limit the upcoming fishing season on the Columbia and Snake rivers, says the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

It has made recommendations for the season, but they still must be approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Public comments will be heard before the seasons are finalized.

Steelhead fisheries in both rivers this season would again be very limited and additional protective measures will be in place due to continued low returns of steelhead, the Department of Fish and Wildlife said in an announcement of its recommendations..

Anglers would not be allowed to keep Chinook salmon, including jacks, caught on the Columbia River this season.

However, the forecast for sockeye salmon has improved from last year and anglers are expected to be allowed to keep them. Returns will be closely monitored through the season, however, to make sure returns are not lower than expected.

Fall chinook season for much of the Columbia River upstream from Bonneville Dam is expected to open Aug. 1.

“These seasons were determined with the goal of meeting conservation objectives while offering opportunities whenever possible, but we had some tough decisions to make this year,” said Kelly Susewind, director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

No fishing is allowed in Washington state until at least May 4 to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and the new coronavirus remains a factor going into the summer and fall fishing season, Susewind said.

“The coronavirus remains the biggest unknown as we move ahead in the 2020 and 2021 fishing seasons,” Susewind said. “As with every aspect of life these days, we’ll have to be flexible to respond to any public health concerns.”

This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Upcoming salmon and steelhead season not looking great on Columbia and Snake."