OAR 635-023-0130. Fall Sport Fishery

The current annual Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations provide requirements for the Columbia River Zone. However, additional regulations may be adopted in this rule division from time to time, and, to the extent of any inconsistency, they supersede the current annual Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. (1) Effective August 1 through September 15, thermal angling sanctuaries described in OAR 635-023-0090 (3)(b) through (3)(d), and (3)(f) are in effect. (2) Sections 3 through 8 of this rule replace the Exceptions to Columbia River Zone Regulations for the Columbia River on pages 74 and 75 of the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. In the areas described by sections 3 through 8 of this rule, each angler aboard a vessel may continue to use angling gear until the daily limit of fish for all legally licensed and juvenile anglers aboard has been achieved. However, no individual angler may exceed any personal daily bag limit. (3) In the mainstem Columbia River from the Buoy 10 line upstream to a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington bank through Red Buoy 44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point on the Oregon bank the following regulations apply: (a) Effective August 1 through September 30 retention of hatchery adult coho salmon, defined during this timeframe as hatchery coho with a minimum length of 16 inches, is allowed; (b) Effective October 1 through December 31 retention of hatchery coho salmon is allowed; (c) Effective August 1 through August 9 retention of adult Chinook salmon is allowed. No more than one adult Chinook salmon may be retained per day; (d) Effective August 10 through September 2 retention of hatchery adult Chinook salmon is allowed. No more than one adult Chinook salmon may be retained per day; (e) Effective November 1 through December 31 retention of hatchery steelhead is allowed; (f) Effective August 1 through September 15 the Youngs Bay Control Zone is closed to all angling; and (g) The Columbia River South Jetty is open to salmon angling seven days a week when the fall Buoy 10 or adjacent ocean salmon fishery is open. (4) In the mainstem Columbia River from a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington bank through Red Buoy 44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point on the Oregon bank upstream to the west Puget Island line (defined as a line at the west end of Puget Island extending from green navigation marker #39 on the Washington shore to green navigation marker #41, then to red navigation marker #42, and terminating at red navigation marker #44A on the Oregon shore) the following regulations apply: (a) Effective August 1 through December 31 retention of hatchery coho salmon is allowed; (b) Effective August 1 through August 9 retention of adult Chinook salmon is allowed. No more than one adult Chinook salmon may be retained per day; (c) Effective August 10 through September 2 retention of hatchery adult Chinook salmon is allowed. No more than one adult Chinook salmon may be retained per day; (d) Effective November 1 through December 31 retention of hatchery steelhead is allowed; and (e) Effective August 1 through December 31 retention of hatchery cutthroat trout is allowed. (5) In the mainstem Columbia River from the west Puget Island line upstream to the Bachelor Island/Warrior Rock line (defined as a line projected from the Warrior Rock lighthouse on the Oregon shore to the marker atop the piling dolphin located at the downstream end of Bachelor Island on the Washington shore), the following regulations apply: (a) Effective August 1 through September 2: (A) Retention of Chinook salmon and hatchery coho salmon is allowed; and (B) No more than one adult Chinook salmon may be retained per day. (b) Effective September 3 through September 30 angling for and retention of salmon and steelhead is prohibited. (c) Effective October 1 through October 15 retention of coho salmon is allowed. (d) Effective October 16 through October 31 retention of hatchery coho salmon is allowed. (e) Effective November 1 through December 31 retention of hatchery coho salmon and hatchery steelhead is allowed. (f) Effective August 1 through December 31 retention of hatchery cutthroat trout is allowed. (6) In the mainstem Columbia River from the Bachelor Island/Warrior Rock line (defined as a line projected from the Warrior Rock lighthouse on the Oregon shore to the marker atop the piling dolphin located at the downstream end of Bachelor Island on the Washington shore) upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline, the following regulations apply: (a) Effective August 1 through September 11: (A) Retention of Chinook salmon and hatchery coho salmon is allowed; (B) No more than one adult Chinook salmon may be retained per day. (b) Effective September 12 through September 15: (A) Retention of Chinook salmon and coho salmon is allowed; and (B) No more than one adult Chinook salmon may be retained per day. (c) Effective September 16 through September 30 angling for and retention of salmon and steelhead is prohibited. (d) Effective October 1 through October 15 retention of coho salmon is allowed. (e) Effective October 16 through October 31 retention of hatchery coho salmon is allowed. (f) Effective November 1 through December 31 retention of hatchery coho salmon and hatchery steelhead is allowed. (g) Effective August 1 through December 31 from the Bachelor Island/Warrior Rock line (defined as a line projected from the Warrior Rock lighthouse on the Oregon shore to the marker atop the piling dolphin located at the downstream end of Bachelor Island on the Washington shore) upstream to the I-5 Bridge, retention of hatchery cutthroat trout is allowed. (h) All angling is prohibited: (A) From August 16 through October 15 between markers 150 feet above and 450 feet below the mouth of Tanner Creek out to center of the Columbia River; and (B) Inside the south navigation lock at Bonneville Dam from a marker on the western-most point of Robins Island to a marker on the Oregon mainland shore. (i) Bank angling is prohibited: (A) From Bradford Island below Bonneville Dam from south shore between the dam and a line perpendicular to the shoreline marker at west end of riprap and from north shore between fishway entrance and a line perpendicular to the shoreline marker 850 ft downstream; and (B) From Robins Island below Bonneville Dam downstream to a line perpendicular to the shoreline marker on mooring cell. (j) Angling from a floating device or using a floating device to set lines is Dam and a line crossing the river below the dam marked by the boat-restricted zone sign on the Oregon shore at the westernmost tip of Robins Island to the boat-restricted zone sign approximately 50 feet above the Hamilton Island boat ramp on the Washington shore (USACE Boat Restricted Zone). (k) Effective August 1 through August 31 from Bonneville Dam downstream approx. 9 miles to a line crossing the Columbia River from Navigation Marker 82 on the Oregon shore westerly to a boundary marker on the Washington shore above Fir Point sturgeon angling is prohibited. (l) Effective November 1 through December 31 salmon angling from a floating device is prohibited from Beacon Rock upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline. (7) In the mainstem Columbia River from Bonneville Dam upstream to The Dalles Dam, the following regulations apply: (a) Effective August 1 through September 11: (A) Retention of Chinook salmon and hatchery coho salmon is allowed; (B) No more than one adult Chinook salmon may be retained per day; and (C) Retention of wild coho salmon is allowed upstream of the Hood River Bridge. (b) Effective September 12 through September 15: (A) Retention of Chinook salmon and coho salmon is allowed; and (B) No more than one adult Chinook salmon may be retained per day. (c) Effective September 16 through September 30 angling for and retention of salmon and steelhead is prohibited. (d) Effective October 1 through October 15 retention of coho salmon is allowed. (e) Effective October 16 through October 31 retention of hatchery coho salmon is allowed; retention of wild coho salmon is allowed upstream of the Hood River Bridge. (f) Effective November 1 through December 31 retention of hatchery coho salmon and hatchery steelhead is allowed; retention of wild coho salmon is allowed upstream of the Hood River Bridge. (g) Effective August 1 through December 31 when angling for salmon and steelhead, a single-point hook with a gap size no larger than three-quarters inch is required for all nonbuoyant lures except when trolling from a vessel or floating device. (h) Only single-point hooks are allowed when angling at Cascade Locks in the area between the boat ramp at the lower end of the locks upstream to the east (upstream) end of the lock wall. (i) Angling is prohibited: (A) From Bonneville Dam upstream to a line across the river 1,000 feet from the dam as indicated by USACE signs; and (B) From the Interstate Hwy 197 bridge at The Dalles upstream to the upper line of The Dalles Dam, except bank angling is permitted above the Hwy bridge for 1,100 feet to the cyclone fence. (j) Effective August 1 through August 31 angling for sturgeon is prohibited from a line projected from the east (upstream) dock at the Port of The Dalles boat ramp straight across to a marker on the Washington bank upstream to The Dalles Dam. (8) In the mainstem Columbia River from The Dalles Dam upstream to the OR/WA border (upstream of McNary Dam), the following regulations apply: (a) Effective August 1 through August 31: (A) Retention of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and hatchery steelhead is allowed; (B) No more than one adult Chinook salmon may be retained per day; and (C) No more than one hatchery steelhead may be retained per day. (b) Effective September 1 through September 15: (A) Retention of Chinook salmon and coho salmon is allowed; and (B) No more than one adult Chinook salmon may be retained per day. (c) Effective September 16 through September 30 angling for and retention of salmon and steelhead is prohibited. (d) Effective October 1 through December 31 retention of coho salmon is allowed. (e) Effective August 1 through December 31 when angling for salmon and steelhead, a single-point hook with a gap size no larger than three-quarters inch is required for all nonbuoyant lures except when trolling from a vessel or floating device. (f) Angling is prohibited: (A) From John Day Dam downstream approximately 3,000 feet except that bank angling is permitted up to 600 feet below the fishway entrance; and (B) From a floating device in USACE designated hazard zones above and below McNary Dam. (g) Effective August 1 through August 31 angling for sturgeon is prohibited from: (A) A line projected from the west end of the grain silo at Rufus straight across to a marker on the Washington bank upstream to John Day Dam; and (B) A line projected from the east end grain elevators at Patterson Ferry Road straight across to a marker on the Washington bank upstream to McNary Dam.