Fall fishing seasons announced for Snake River Basin; new permanent Coho regulations

ENTERPRISE – (Release from ODFW) ODFW has announced upcoming fall angling opportunities within the Snake River Basin with a Coho fishery open on the Grande Ronde from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30.

Anglers are allowed to retain two adult coho salmon per day, along with up to five jack coho salmon. A maximum of two daily jack limits may be in possession.

“Even though the season opened on September 1st, we aren’t expecting to see fish until the end of the month,” said District Fish Biologist Kyle Bratcher. “Starting next year, Coho fishing regulations on the Grande Ronde River will become permanent from September 1st to November 30th,” added Bratcher.

Since Coho were reintroduced to the Lostine River in 2017, enough hatchery fish have returned to offer this opportunity for a fourth consecutive year. Going forward, permanent regulations will ensure consistent opportunities for anglers, which allows for better long-term planning and less confusion among anglers.

Additionally, ODFW reminds anglers that angling for fall Chinook is open on the Snake River through October 31. Returns of fall Chinook are expected to be robust enough to allow for fisheries within the Snake River Basin. For Oregon anglers, access to the fishery can be difficult with trips to Hells Canyon Dam, Dug Bar, or on jet boats being the best option.. Regulations allow for the harvest of three Chinook daily with no limit on jacks. All anglers must use barbless hooks while fishing the Snake River.

Lastly, steelhead season is also open in the Snake, Grande Ronde, Wallowa, and Imnaha rivers with the season running through April 30. The steelhead run is just heating up in the Lower Snake River and steelhead should arrive in Oregon tributaries soon. “We’re expecting a return similar to last year,” said Bratcher. “While steelhead are not performing as well as we’d like, were still seeing numbers that are sustainable to fish on, and maintain quality catch rates of hatchery fish,” Bratcher added. Anglers can harvest up to three hatchery steelhead per day. Wild steelhead should be released immediately and unharmed. Anglers are reminded to check regulations before fishing as regulations may vary between water bodies.

For all salmon and steelhead fisheries in the Snake River and tributaries, anglers are required to have a combined angling tag and Columbia Basin Endorsement. 

Remember to always check in-season regulation changes before fishing by visiting the Recreation Report/Fishing Report: https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/fishing-report/snake-zone

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Elkhorn Media Group