Yakima River fall salmon fishery to close

October 14, 2019

Action: Closes the Yakima River to fishing for salmon.

Effective date: Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019.

Species affected: Salmon.

Location: From the Hwy. 240 bridge in Richland (river mile 2.1) to the Grant Avenue Bridge in Prosser (river mile 47.0) approximately 1,000 feet downstream of Prosser Dam.

Reason for action: Fall Chinook are returning in extremely low numbers to the Yakima River. This closure is necessary to meet conservation and hatchery broodstock collection needs for fall Chinook and coho in the Yakima River Basin.

Additional information: Saturday, Oct. 19 will be the last day to fish for salmon in the Yakima River this fall. This year's return of fall Chinook to the Yakima River is expected to be the lowest return on record over the past 28 years.

Information contact: Paul Hoffarth, District 4 fish biologist, 509-545-2284.

Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. Check the WDFW "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for details on definitions and regulations. Fishing rules are subject to change. Visit wdfw.wa.gov/fishing-hotlines to find a list of mobile, web, print, or customer service phone options for the latest rule information.

Request this information in an alternative format or language at wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/requests-accommodation, 833-885-1012, TTY (711), or CivilRightsTeam@dfw.wa.gov.