Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

June 25, 2014
Contact: John Whalen, (509) 892-7861

Pilot spring chinook fishery to open June 27
on lower Grande Ronde River

OLYMPIA - Starting Friday (June 27), the lower Grande Ronde River will open to fishing for spring chinook salmon for the first time in 40 years.

The lower Grande Ronde River, from the Highway 129 Bridge upstream approximately 12 miles to the farthest upstream Oregon/Washington boundary line, will be open for spring chinook fishing through Monday (June 30).

Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon are testing the feasibility of a spring chinook fishery in the lower Grande Ronde River to increase the harvest of hatchery fish destined for the Lostine River in Oregon, said John Whalen, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW) eastern region fish program manager.

"This brief, four-day fishery will give us some indication of angler participation and the catch rates we would see with a fishery in the lower river," Whalen said.

Anglers will have a daily catch limit of seven hatchery chinook salmon (adipose fin-clipped), only two of which can be adult chinook. Anglers must stop fishing for the day when they reach their daily limit of adult hatchery chinook salmon.

In addition, anglers must use single point barbless hooks no larger than 5/8 inch from point to shank. A night closure also is in effect.

Anglers cannot remove any chinook salmon from the water unless it is retained as part of the daily catch limit.

Whalen said fishery managers were able to provide the brief opportunity after in-season projections indicated good returns of spring chinook salmon to the upper Grande Ronde River.

"We're specifically targeting the Lostine chinook stock, which data shows tends to migrate through the river a month later than other chinook populations," Whalen said. "By allowing this opportunity now, we can fish for these late-arriving chinook while avoiding the majority of fish from other stocks."

To participate in this fishery, anglers must possess a valid 2014-15 fishing license and a Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Endorsement. Revenue from the endorsement supports salmon or steelhead seasons on many rivers in the Columbia River system, including enforcing fishery regulations and monitoring the upper Columbia River spring chinook fisheries.

The Grande Ronde River fishery is co-managed by Washington and Oregon, where a similar chinook season will open concurrently.

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Fish on...

Todd

Cool the fish are making a comeback there, hatchery or otherwise. I hope it continues!

Hatchery fish returning to Eastern Washington tributary's are considered a good, positive thing. Hatchery fish returning to our West side rivers are determined detrimental to streams and wild fish recovery. Just don't get it! They continue to flood smolt releases above the dams but below them cut back after cut back.

At least part of the difference is that in Eastern WA they are using local fish with not much hatchery history. They use more wild-friendly cultural techniques. So the returning fish are, at worst, pink or white grapefruit.

On the west side most of the programs are still dominated by Green River origin fish with a relationship to the wild of apples to grapes.