Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife FACT SHEET
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
Columbia River Compact / Joint State Action Notice
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

February 15, 2008

THE FOLLOWING SELECT AREA SEASONS WERE SET:

Non-Indian Commercial Salmon

Youngs Bay Select Area (March - July)
Winter Season: Entire bay:
Sunday and Wednesday nights from March 2 through March 10 (3 nights).
Open hours are from noon to 6 AM (18 hours).

10 AM to 2 PM Wednesday March 12 (4 hours)

Upstream of Old Youngs Bay Bridge:
Noon Sunday March 16 to 6 AM Monday March 17 (18 hours)
6 AM to 6 PM Tuesday March 18 (12 hours)
6 AM to 6 PM Thursday March 20 (12 hours)
Noon Sunday March 23 to 6 AM Monday March 24 (18 hours)
6 AM to 6 PM Tuesday March 25 (12 hours)
6 AM to 6 PM Thursday March 27 (12 hours)

Walluski Area:
Noon Sunday March 30 to 6 AM Monday March 31 (18 hours)
6 AM to 6 PM Tuesday April 1 (12 hours)
6 AM to 6 PM Thursday April 3 (12 hours)
Noon Sunday April 6 to 6 AM Monday April 7 (18 hours)
6 AM to 6 PM Tuesday April 8 (12 hours)


Spring Season:
Entire bay:
6 PM Thursday April 17 - 6 AM Friday April 18 (12 hours)
6 PM Monday April 21 - 6 AM Tuesday April 22 (12 hours)
6 PM Thursday April 24 - 6 AM Friday April 25 (12 hours)

6 PM Monday April 28 - noon Tuesday April 29 (18 hours)
6 PM Thursday May 1 - noon Friday May 2 (18 hours)

Noon Monday May 5 - noon Friday May 9 (4 days)
Noon Monday May 12 - noon Friday May 16 (4 days)
Noon Monday May 19 - noon Friday May 23 (4 days)
Noon Monday May 26 - noon Friday May 30 (4 days)
Noon Monday June 2 - noon Friday June 6 (4 days)
Noon Tuesday June 10 - noon Friday June 13 (3 days)

Wednesdays through Fridays from June 18 to July 25 (12 days).
Open hours are from 6 AM Wednesday to 6 AM Friday.


Summer Season
6 AM Wednesday July 30 - 6 PM Thursday July 31 (36 hours).

Area:
March 2 through March 12 and April 17 through July 31:
Youngs Bay fishing area with upper boundary at the confluence of the Youngs and Klaskanine rivers.

March 16 through March 27:
Old Youngs Bay Bridge upstream to the confluence of the Youngs and Klaskanine rivers.

March 30 through April 8:
Markers directly under the first powerlines downstream of the Walluski River upstream to the confluence of the Youngs and Klaskanine rivers.


Gear
A 7-inch minimum mesh size restriction during the winter season and an 8-inch maximum mesh size restriction during the spring and summer seasons.

Maximum net length of 250 fathoms and weight on leadline not to exceed two pounds in any one fathom. Red corks are required at 25-fathom intervals and red corks must be in contrast to corks used in the remainder of the net.

Use of additional weights or anchors attached directly to the leadline is allowed upstream of markers located approximately 200 yards upstream of the mouth of the Walluski River.


Allowable Sales:
Salmon, white sturgeon, and shad.

Miscellaneous Regulations
Permanent transportation rules will be in effect.

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER REGULATIONS WERE ADOPTED:

Non-Indian Commercial Salmon

Preseason - 2008 Commercial Spring Chinook Regulations
Individual fishing periods will not exceed 24 hours in length.

Area:
Fishery to occur from the Hayden Island powerlines (west towers) upstream to the upper commercial fishing deadline at Beacon Rock.

Sanctuaries:
Sandy and Washougal River sanctuaries.

Gear:
Net length not to exceed 150 fathoms except nets fitted with a steelhead excluder may be 175 fathoms.
8" minimum and 9¾" maximum mesh sizes during large mesh fishery.
4¼" maximum mesh size during tangle net fishery.
Use of nets fitted with a steelhead excluder is encouraged.

Allowable Sales:
Adipose fin-clipped Chinook salmon, white sturgeon, and shad.

Participants:
Columbia River commercial fishers with appropriate licenses and legal gear that have attended and completed the required state-sponsored workshop concerning live capture commercial fishing techniques.

Miscellaneous Regulations
As a condition of fishing, owners or operators of commercial fishing vessels must cooperate with Department observers or observers collecting data for the Department, when notified by the observer of their intent to board the commercial vessel for observation and sampling during an open fishery.
>Soak times, defined as time elapsed from when first mesh enters the water to when last mesh leaves the water, must not exceed 45 minutes.
Red corks are required at 25-fathom intervals and red corks must be in contrast to the corks used in the remainder of the net.
Use of recovery boxes is required on all lethargic or bleeding salmon or steelhead.Each vessel participating in this fishery is required to have 2 operable recovery boxes or one box with two chambers. Operable recovery boxes require a flow of 16-20 gallons per minute to each chamber of the box(es). Each box must be operating during any time that the net is being retrieved or picked.
Lighted buoys are required on each end of nets being fished between sunset and sunrise.
24-hour Quick Reporting Rule in effect for Washington buyers.

2008 Winter Pre-Season Commercial Fishing Plan
  • Test fishing below the mouth of the Willamette River to occur weekly during March to maintain a historical data base and provide information on run strength and stock mix.

  • Test fishing above the mouth of the Willamette River to occur prior to all full fleet fisheries to evaluate abundance of steelhead and spring Chinook and mark rate of spring Chinook.

  • Full fleet fishery to occur upstream of the Willamette River on Tuesdays during March 25- April 29,. Commercial fishing may occur anytime from Monday night through Wednesday morning each week.

  • Fishing may be conducted during both daylight and nighttime hours depending on fishery performance. The fishery will be focused during daylight hours if possible.

  • Manage mainstem commercial fisheries up to 76% of impact allocation prior to a run size update (late April- early May).

  • Additional fisheries may occur after run size updates are available.

  • No Compact hearings are scheduled at this time.

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE SET:

Non-Indian Commercial Shad

2008 Commercial Shad fishing periods
Season: 3 PM - 10 PM daily
May 12-16 (5 days)
May 19-23 (5 days)
May 27-30 (4 days)
June 2-6 (5 days)
June 9-13 (5 days)
June 16-20 (5 days)

Area:
True north/south line through Light #50 near the mouth of the Sandy River upstream to the commercial fishing boundary near Beacon Rock.

Gear:
Single-wall, unslackened, floater gill net; 5?"- 6¼" mesh size restrictions; 10-lb breaking strength; and the net may not exceed 150 fathoms in length or 40 meshes in depth.

Allowable Sales:
Only shad may be kept and sold. All salmon, walleye, and sturgeon must be immediately returned to the water unharmed.

  • No Compact hearings are scheduled at this time.

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE SET:

Non-Indian Commercial Sturgeon

2008 Non-Indian Winter Commercial Sturgeon Fishery
Season: 6 PM Thursday February 21 through 12:00 noon Friday February 22 (18 hrs)
6 PM Tuesday February 26 through 12:00 noon Wednesday February 27 (18hrs)
6 PM Thursday February 28 through 12:00 noon Friday February 29 (18 hrs)

Area:
Hayden Island powerlines (west towers) upstream to the upper boundary of Zone 5 (Beacon Rock).

Sanctuaries:
Sandy and Washougal River sanctuaries.

Gear:
9" minimum and 9¾" maximum mesh size restrictions.

Allowable Sales:
White sturgeon, adipose fin-clipped Chinook salmon, and shad.

Additional Regulations
24-hour Quick Reporting Rule in effect for Washington buyers.

THE FOLLOWING SELECT AREA SEASONS WERE SET:

Non-Indian Commercial Salmon

Blind Slough/Knappa Slough Select Area (March - June)
Winter Season: Sunday and Wednesday nights from March 2 through March 27 (8 nights)
and
Sunday nights of March 30 and April 6 (2 nights)
Open hours are from 7 PM to 7 AM (12 hours)

Spring Season:
Monday and Thursday nights from April 17 through June 13 (17 nights).
Open hours are from 7 PM to 7 AM (12 hours)

Area:
Blind Slough area only open during winter season and both Blind Slough and Knappa Slough areas open during spring season.

From May 1 through June 13, the lower boundary of the Knappa Slough fishing area is extended downstream to boundary lines defined by markers on the west end of Minaker Island to markers on Karlson Island and the Oregon shore (fall boundary).


Gear:
A 7-inch minimum mesh size restriction during the winter season and an 8-inch maximum mesh size restriction during the spring season.

Nets restricted to 100 fathoms in length with no weight restriction on leadline. Use of additional weights or anchors attached directly to the leadline is allowed.


Allowable Sales:
Salmon, white sturgeon, and shad.

Miscellaneous Regulations
Permanent transportation regulations will be in effect.

THE FOLLOWING SELECT AREA SEASONS WERE SET:

Non-Indian Commercial Salmon

Deep River Select Area (March - June)
Winter Season: Monday nights March 3 through March 10 (2 nights)
Open hours are from 7 PM to 7 AM (12 hours)

Spring Season:
Monday and Thursday nights from April 17 through June 13 (17 nights).
Open hours are 7 PM to 7 AM (12 hours).

Area:
Deep River fishing area from the markers at USCG navigation marker #16 upstream to the Highway 4 Bridge (all concurrent water).

Gear:
7-inch minimum mesh size restriction during the winter season and an 8-inch maximum mesh size restriction during the spring season.

Nets restricted to 100 fathoms in length with no weight restriction on leadline. Use of additional weights or anchors attached directly to the leadline is allowed. Nets cannot be tied off to stationary structures. Nets may not fully cross navigation channel.


Allowable Sales:
Salmon, white sturgeon, and shad.

Miscellaneous Regulations
Transportation or possession of fish outside the fishing area (except to the sampling station) is unlawful until WDFW staff has biologically sampled individual catches. After sampling, fishers will be issued a transportation permit by agency staff.

During the winter season arrangements must be made for the place and time of sampling. Please phone 360-906-6709. In, the spring season a sampling station will be established at Stephen's dock on Miller Point Rd.

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE SET:

Non-Indian Recreational Salmon Fishery

2008 Mainstem Columbia River Spring Chinook Recreational Fishery
Effective February 25, 2008, the ongoing recreational salmonid fishery (salmon and steelhead) from the Columbia River mouth at Buoy 10 upstream to the I-5 Bridge will CLOSE.

Below Hayden Island powerlines (west towers)

Area:
Buoy 10 to Hayden Island powerlines (west towers)

Dates:
Monday March 24 - Friday April 4, 2008
Hayden Island powerlines (west towers) upstream to Bonneville Dam

Area:
Hayden Island powerlines (west towers) to Bonneville Dam

Dates:
March 16- April 30, 2008

Restrictions
Closed to angling (both catch-and-release and retention) for all species from one hour after sunset on Mondays through one hour before sunrise on Wednesdays from March 24 through April 30. (Essentially closed on Tuesdays).
 

Catch Limits below Bonneville Dam:
Oregon: Two adult salmonids per day only one of which may be a Chinook.
Washington: One adult salmon and two steelhead per day.
Only adipose fin-clipped fish may be kept.
All other permanent regulations apply.
Bonneville Dam to McNary Dam

Area:
Tower Island power lines (approximately 6 miles below The Dalles Dam) upstream to McNary Dam plus the Oregon and Washington banks between Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island power lines.

Dates:
March 16- May 10, 2008

Catch Limit
Oregon: Two adult salmon or steelhead per day.
Washington: Two adult salmon and two steelhead per day.
Only adipose fin-clipped fish may be kept.
 

Miscellaneous Regulations for all areas:
For the mainstem Columbia River salmon and steelhead fishery upstream of the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line effective February 15 through June 15, it is unlawful when fishing from vessels which are less than 30 feet in length, substantiated by Coast Guard documentation or Marine Board registration, to totally remove from the water any salmon or steelhead required to be released.

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER REGULATIONS WERE ADOPTED:

Non-Indian Recreational Salmon Fishery

Retention of Steelhead and Shad During Spring Chinook Season prior to May 16
The mainstem Columbia River be open for adipose fin-clipped steelhead and shad during days and seasons open for adipose fin-clipped spring Chinook prior to May 16, 2008.

The mainstem Columbia River also be closed for adipose fin-clipped steelhead and shad during days and seasons closed for adipose fin-clipped spring Chinook prior to May 16, 2008.

Select Area Recreational Fisheries
During March 24 through April 4, 2008, the daily bag limit in Oregon and Washington Select Areas will be consistent with the salmon/steelhead daily bag limit on the mainstem Columbia River and only adipose fin-clipped fish may be kept during this time. All other permanent regulations apply.

OREGON STATE ACTION

Retention of Spring Chinook in Willamette River and Tributary Recreational Fisheries
The state of Oregon adopted the following modification to permanent regulations for the Willamette and tributaries:

Effective March 1, 2008, the daily bag limit in the Willamette River and tributaries including the Clackamas River upstream to North Fork Dam will be two adult salmonids per day only one of which may be a Chinook. Only adipose fin-clipped fish may be kept. All other permanent regulations apply.

  • No Compact hearings are scheduled at this time



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