for you guys above the dalles dam


Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us

For Immediate Release May 1, 2001

Three Day Spring Chinook Season Opens Sunday on Columbia River above The Dalles Dam

PORTLAND - Fishery managers decided Tuesday to open the Columbia River from The Dalles Dam to McNary Dam May 6 through May 8 to spring chinook angling for the first time since 1977.
Anglers may harvest adipose fin-clipped chinook salmon and adipose fin-clipped steelhead and shad. The bag limit for salmon and steelhead is two per day and there is no limit on shad harvest.
Fishery managers from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) also revised the total spring chinook run size to 400,000 destined for hatcheries or spawning grounds above Bonneville Dam. This compares to a pre-season forecast of 365,000 fish and a mid-season forecast of 440,000.
ODFW and WDFW were able to provide this sport fishery opportunity because the allowable non-tribal impacts to the threatened wild stocks of upriver spring chinook had not been reached following the lower Columbia River sport and commercial fisheries. The total allowed impact, or mortality, on wild fish was 2 percent of the run, based on negotiations with tribal governments and federal agencies earlier this year. Less than 0.02 percent was still available.
Opening the Bonneville pool to spring chinook angling was considered, however, such an opener would have resulted in more impacts to wild fish. Fishery managers indicated that the Columbia River above Bonneville Dam would receive more consideration next year for sport fisheries. The large spring chinook return this year allowed fishery managers to open the lower Columbia below Bonneville Dam to sport angling in March and April. However, anglers in northeast Oregon expressed concern that some of the angling opportunity should have been allowed east of the Cascade Mountains.

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It would have been nice if they wouldn't have had to cut us off early from the lower river fishery when it was going so well. But it's nice to get the opportunity up above for some people - as long as it's not a ploy to get the Indians more netting opportunity!

RT

Does this mean there will be a fishery at the mouth of the Deschutes similar to that in the fall? The drive coming from Central Oregon to Wind/Drano is awfully long, so it would be nice if this area would fish well, as it is an hour closer. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

RT- can you verify this opener. I've looked all over both orgeon and washington fish and game and unable to find this,,, call me cautious
Sam

sam'n'bob, I will send you the e-mail I recieved from ODFW. I cant find it on the website either. They also aren't the quickest to get things on. Marty

here is the link to subscribe to the news releases
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/public/NewsArc/Listserves.html

[ 05-02-2001: Message edited by: Firedog ]

Sam, I can verify that there is going to be a special 3 day sportfishery for spring chinook between the Dalles and McNary dams on Sunday thru Tue. (6th, 7th, & 8th). The peak of the run has passed this area but it still should be good fishing. ... Blackdog, you can read my suggestions for that fishing in your 'Mouth of the Deschutes' post thread. I also suggest fishing right at the deadlines below the John day and McNary dams - similar to how they fished below Bonneville earlier. Good luck guys. Let us know how it went up there.

[ 05-02-2001: Message edited by: RT 1 ]