Deschutes River to open for spring chinook May 1

The popular spring chinook fisheries on the Deschutes and Hood rivers will open this spring, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday.

Deschutes River

According to Jason Seals, ODFW fish biologist, managers are predicting over 4,000 adult hatchery fish will return to the Deschutes, which is well above management goals to obtain hatchery broodstock and other management needs.

“If the run comes back as predicted, chinook salmon fishing on the Deschutes should be excellent,” he said.

“The Deschutes River fishery below Sherars Falls is extremely popular because it offers a great chance to catch a Columbia River spring chinook from the bank,” he continued. “In recent years, as many as 10,000 anglers have participated in the fishery annually.”

Here is a summary of the temporary rules for the Deschutes River adopted by ODFW:

Open for adipose fin-clipped chinook from May 1 through July 31 from the mouth of the Deschutes at the I-84 bridge upstream to Sherars Falls. The catch limit is one adult adipose fin-clipped salmon per day, and five adipose fin-clipped jack salmon per day. All non-adipose fin-clipped chinook salmon must be released unharmed. It is unlawful to continue to fish from Sherars Falls downstream to the upper railroad trestle after taking a daily bag limit of one adult chinook salmon.

Hood River

Managers are predicting far fewer adult fish returning to the Hood River—about 970 hatchery fish.

According to Seals, the Hood River offers another good opportunity to catch a spring chinook from the bank but in conditions that are much less crowded than on the Deschutes.

In addition, the removal of Powerdale Dam in the summer of 2010 expanded the legal angling area and offers anglers considerably more room to spread out.

Here is a summary of the temporary rules for the Hood River adopted by ODFW:

Open for adipose fin-clipped chinook from April 15 through June 30 from the mouth to mainstem confluence with the East Fork, and the West Fork from the confluence with the mainstem upstream to the angling deadline 200 feet downstream of Punchbowl Falls.

The catch limit is two adult adipose fin-clipped salmon per day, and five adipose fin-clipped jack salmon per day.

All non-adipose fin-clipped chinook salmon must be released unharmed.