Sturgeon retention halted in Dalles, John Day pools

OLYMPIA — Recreational retention fishing for white sturgeon on two sections of the Columbia River mainstem will close over the next week, fishery managers from Oregon and Washington announced Tuesday.

The Dalles Pool (between The Dalles Dam and John Day Dam) will close to sturgeon retention beginning Thursday, Jan. 26, while the John Day Pool (between John Day Dam and McNary Dam) will close beginning Monday, Jan. 30.

State Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife employees agreed to close the fisheries during a joint-state meeting Tuesday, noting that both pools were approaching their guidelines for the 2023 fishing seasons.

As of Monday, Jan. 23, anglers had kept 171 legal-size sturgeon in The Dalles Pool, representing about 90%of the 190-fish guideline.

In the John Day Pool, anglers had kept 80 fish, about 76% of the 105-fish guideline. Managers estimated that both of those quotas would be reached in the coming days.

The Bonneville Pool between Bonneville Dam and The Dalles Dam closed earlier this month following strong fishing effort and high catch rates.

All three pools remain open for catch-and-release sturgeon fishing.