States extend Buoy 10 fishing; coho, steelhead passage slow

Published 2:45 pm Tuesday, September 13, 2016

A lower than expected harvest of Chinook salmon at the Columbia River mouth prompted the two-state Columbia River Compact at its hearing Aug. 31 to extend the popular Buoy 10 recreational fishing season by nine days through Sept. 14.

Retention of coho and steelhead for recreational anglers will remain open through Dec. 31.

The Compact made the decision week before last as it reviewed catch rates and the number of salmon entering the river as well as the number of fish passing Bonneville Dam.

The Buoy 10 fishery was scheduled to close Sept. 6, but was first liberalized Aug. 25, allowing the retention of unclipped fish on two successive days, and then the fishery was extended Aug. 31 at the Compact hearing when it appeared that harvest was just 45 percent of the pre-season forecast. The recreational harvest in the fishery, as of Aug. 30, was just 21,600 fall Chinook, compared to the expected catch of 48,500 fish.

The effective area for the Buoy 10 fishery is the river mouth upstream to Tongue Point. The daily bag limit is two salmonids a day of which only one may be a Chinook. Chinook must be at least 24 inches long to be retained. The rules allow retention of up to one steelhead or two coho per day. Coho must be at least 16 inches long to be retained.

In addition, the Compact decided against adding two more non-Indian commercial fishing periods, following commercial gillnetters’ request to save the fish for a later opportunity.

The 2016 forecast for fall Chinook entering the Columbia River is 960,200 fish, which is 74 percent of last year’s actual return, but 136 percent of the 2006-2015 10-year average of 705,600 fish.

Nearly 628,000 of upriver fall Chinook are projected to pass Bonneville this year, according to a pre-season forecast by the US v Oregon Technical Advisory Committee. Based on the 10-year average, passage is generally 50 percent complete by Sept. 8.

Passage of fall Chinook over Bonneville Dam as of Sept. 8 was 256,814 adults and 30,116 jacks. Last year on that date 345,586 adults and 24,506 jacks had passed the dam. The 10-year average is 230,833 adults and 30,448 jacks.

Some 322,600 coho salmon are expected to enter the Columbia River, which is 73 percent of the 10-year average of 441,400 fish. It includes 132,900 early stocks and 189,700 late stock. Passage of coho over Bonneville Dam is expected to total 84,300, which is 76 percent of the total ocean abundance of Columbia River coho destined for areas upriver of the dam.

Just 14,978 coho and 1,978 coho jacks had passed the dam as of Sept. 8, far below that date’s 10-year average of 34,187 adults, but average for jacks with 12,001. Last year on that date 12,869 adults and 1,702 jacks had passed.

Passage of Group A upriver steelhead at the dam has been very slow and TAC had previously lowered its pre-season run prediction for the fish to 123,400 fish (31,000 are wild). The preseason forecast was 256,200. The Group A adjusted forecast combined with the preseason forecast of 25,800 Group B fish brings the total projection to 149,200 steelhead at Bonneville Dam.