December 21, 2009

Oregon, Washington adopt 2010 Sturgeon Rules

Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington adopted 2010 sturgeon and smelt fishing regulations Thursday during a joint state hearing in Kelso, Wash.

Current rules regulating the harvest of white sturgeon on the Columbia River were left unchanged from 2009 while representatives from the two states negotiate an agreement on 2010 harvest objectives. The new agreement is expected to lead to a reduction in the harvest guidelines due to reduced abundance of legal and sub-legal sized fish. Following adoption of the 2010 objectives, managers plan to revisit sturgeon regulations at their next joint state hearing, which is scheduled for Feb. 18, 2010.

Until the states modify the sturgeon rules, retention of sturgeon with a fork length of 38-54 inches is allowed three days a week – Thursday, Friday and Saturday – on the Columbia from Bonneville Dam downstream 105 miles to the Wauna power lines. These rules also apply on the Willamette River and Multnomah Channel. Below Wauna, retention of 38-54” fork length sturgeon is allowed seven days a week beginning January 1. Above Bonneville, retention is allowed seven days a week beginning January 1.  Sport fisherman may retain one legal-sized sturgeon a day and up to five sturgeon for the year. columbia river sturgeon rules pdf.

These rules are subject to inseason changes. Please check with the Oregon or Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife for the latest updates.