Chinook, steelhead fishery opens

PASCO — The Snake River opened today, Tuesday, Sept. 1, for fishermen to catch and keep fall Chinook salmon and steelhead.

The Chinook fishery will close Oct. 31, state Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said.

Chinook salmon may be caught and kept from the Burbank-Pasco railroad bridge near the mouth of the river to Lower Granite Dam, which connects Whitman and Garfield counties.

The fishery is being opened because of an expected healthy salmon run, officials said.

The 2020 fall Columbia River run is expected to top 233,400 salmon, with more than 18,150 heading up the Snake River.

That run is large enough to allow fishermen to catch and keep Chinook, officials said, noting the fishery is open seven days per week.

Fishermen are allowed to keep three hatchery adult Chinook salmon, officials said. There is no limit on Chinook “jacks.”

All other salmon species must be released, officials said, noting they should not be removed from the water and released unharmed.

Barbless hooks are required for this fishery, officials said. Catch cards are also required.

The steelhead fishery is open until further notice for the same stretch of river as well as from Lower Granite Dam upstream to the Idaho-Oregon state line.

One steelhead may be retained from below Lower Granite Dam; two may be kept above the dam.

The forecast for the fall steelhead run is 95,500 fish, officials said.

Steelhead with unclipped adipose fins must be released, officials said. And barbless hooks are required.