Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife FACT SHEET
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
Columbia River Compact / Joint State Action Notice
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

January 25, 2007

The following Columbia River Seasons were set:

2007 WINTER/SPRING COMMERCIAL SALMON FISHERY
DATES:

Individual fishing periods will not exceed 24 hours during large mesh fisheries and will not exceed 16 hours during small mesh fisheries.

AREA: Mouth to Kelley Point (Zone 1-4) likely for majority of fishery.
SANCTUARIES: Grays River, Elokomin -B, Abernathy Creek, Cowlitz River, Kalama-B, and Lewis-B.
GEAR: Net length not to exceed 150 fathoms, except for nets fitted with an excluder (175 fathoms).
8-inch minimum and 9 ¾-inch maximum mesh sizes during large mesh fishery.
4¼ -inch maximum mesh size during tangle net fishery.
Use of steelhead excluder encouraged by both Washington and Oregon management staff.
ALLOWABLE SALES: Adipose fin-clipped Chinook salmon, white sturgeon and shad.
PARTICIPANTS: Commercial River commercial fishers with appropriate licenses and legal gear that attended a state-sponsored workshop concerning live capture commercial fishing techniques and possess a certificate that allows participation in this fishery.
MISCELLANEOUS RULES:

As a condition of fishing, owners or operators of commercial fishing vessels must cooperate with Department observers or observers collecting data for the Department, when notified by the observer of their intent to board the commercial vessel for observation and sampling during an open fishery.
Soak times, defined as time elapsed from when first mesh enters the water to when last mesh leaves the water, must not exceed 45 minutes.
Red corks are required at 25-fathom intervals and red corks must be in contrast to the corks used in the remainder of the net.
Use of recovery boxes is required on all lethargic or bleeding salmon or steelhead.
Each vessel participating in this fishery is required to have 2 operable recovery boxes or one box with two chambers. Operable recovery boxes require a flow of 16-20 gallons per minute to each chamber of the box (es). Each box shall be operating during any time that the net is being retrieved or picked.

Lighted buoys required on each end of nets being fished between sunset and sunrise.

Quick Reporting Rule in effect for Washington wholesale dealers, WAC 220-69-240.

2007 WINTER SEASON COMMERCIAL SALMON FISHING PLAN

  • Test Fishing occurs on Sunday.
  • Compact to occur Monday afternoon.
  • Full fleet fishery may occur on Tuesday depending on results from test fishing on Sunday.
  • Use Tuesday full fleet fishery as test fishery or conduct test fishing on Tuesday.
  • Compact to occur Wednesday afternoon.
  • Full fleet fishery may occur Thursday depending on results from previous full fleet fishery or test fishing on Tuesday.
  • Manage commercial fisheries for upriver spring Chinook guidelines of 0.480 in the mainstem Columbia River and 0.100 in Select Areas

The following Columbia River seasons were set:

2007 NON-INDIAN AREA 2S COMMERCIAL SHAD FISHERY
DATES:

3 PM - 10 PM. Daily

May 14 -18 (5 days)
May 21-25 (5 days)
May 29-June 1 (4 days)
June 4-8 (5 days)
June 11-15 (5 days)
June 18-22 (5 days)

AREA: True north/south line through Light #50 near the mouth of the Sandy River upstream to the commercial fishing boundary near Beacon Rock.
GEAR: Single-wall, unslackened, floater gill net; 5 3/8" to 6 ¼" mesh size restrictions; 10-lb breaking strength; and the net may not exceed 150 fathoms in length nor 40 meshes in depth.
ALLOWABLE SALES: Only shad may be kept and sold. All salmonids, walleye, and sturgeon must be immediately returned to the water.

The following Columbia River seasons were set:

2007 SELECT AREA FISHERY, BLIND SLOUGH/KNAPPA SLOUGH:
DATES:

7PM to 7AM (12 hours) Wednesday and Sunday nights from February 21 through March 12 (6 nights)
7PM to 7AM (12 hours) Sunday nights of March 18 and March 25 (2 nights)

Spring Season:
7 PM to 7 AM (12 hours) Monday and Thursday nights April 19 through June 15 (17 nights)

AREA: Blind Slough area only open during winter season and Blind Slough and Knappa Slough areas open during spring season.

During May 3 through June 15, the lower boundary of the Knappa Slough fishing area is extended downstream to boundary lines defined by markers on the west end of Minaker Island to markers on Karlson Island and the Oregon shore (fall boundary).

GEAR 7-inch minimum mesh size restriction during the winter season and an 8-inch maximum mesh size restriction during the spring season.

Nets restricted to 100 fathoms in length with no weight restriction leadline. Use of additional weights or anchors attached directly to the leadline is allowed.

ALLOWABLE SALES Salmon, white sturgeon, and shad. A maximum of 3 white sturgeon may be possessed or sold by each participating vessel during each open period.
MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS Special transportation permits are not required to take fish outside the fishing area.
Permit transportation regulations will be in effect.

The following Columbia River seasons were set:

2007 SELECT AREA FISHERY, YOUNGS BAY:
The ODFW staff is recommending the following seasons for the Youngs Bay Select Area
DATES:

Winter Season:
Wednesday and Sunday nights from February 14 through March 12 (8 nights).
Open hours are from 6 PM to noon (18 hours).

3 PM to 7 PM Wednesday March 14 (4 hours; upstream of Old Youngs Bay Bridge)

Noon Sunday March 18 to 6 AM Monday March 19 (18 hours; Walluski Area)
6 AM to 6 PM Tuesday March 20 (12 hours; Walluski Area)
6 AM to 6 PM Thursday March 22 (12 hours; Walluski Area)
Noon Sunday March 25 to 6 AM Monday March 26 (18 hours; Walluski Area)
6 AM to 6 PM Tuesday March 27 (12 hours; Walluski Area)
6 AM to 6 PM Thursday March 29 (12 hours; Walluski Area)
Noon Sunday April 1 to 6 AM Monday April 2 (18 hours; Walluski Area)
6 AM to 6 PM Tuesday April 3 (12 hours; Walluski Area)
6 AM to 6 PM Thursday April 5 (12 hours; Walluski Area)
Noon Sunday April 8 to 6 AM Monday April 9 (18 hours; Walluski Area)
6 AM to 6 PM Tuesday April 10 (12 hours; Walluski Area)

Spring Season:
6 PM Thursday April 19 - 6 AM Friday April 20 (12 hours)
6 PM Monday April 23 - 6 AM Tuesday April 24 (12 hours)
6 PM Thursday April 26 - 6 AM Friday April 27 (12 hours)

6 PM Monday April 30 - noon Tuesday May 1 (18 hours)
6 PM Thursday May 3 - noon Friday May 4 (18 hours)

Noon Monday May 7 - noon Friday May 11 (4 days)
Noon Monday May 14 - noon Friday May 18 (4 days)
Noon Monday May 21 - noon Friday May 25 (4 days)
Noon Monday May 28 - noon Friday June 1 (4 days)
Noon Monday June 4 - noon Friday June 8 (4 days)
Noon Tuesday June 12 - noon Friday June 15 (3 days)

Summer Season:
6 AM Wednesday June 20 - 6 AM Friday June 22 (2 days)
6 AM Wednesday June 27 - 6 AM Friday June 29 (2 days)
6 AM Wednesday July 4 - noon Thursday July 5 (30 hours)
6 AM Wednesday July 11 - noon Thursday July 12 (30 hours)
6 AM Wednesday July 18 - noon Thursday July 19 (30 hours)
6 AM Wednesday July 25 - noon Thursday July 26 (30 hours)

AREA: February 14 through March 12 and April 19 through July 26:
Youngs Bay fishing area with upper boundary at the confluence of the Youngs and Klaskanine rivers.

March 14:
Old Youngs Bay Bridge upstream to the confluence of the Youngs and Klaskanine rivers.

March 18 through April 10:
Markers directly under the first powerlines downstream of the Walluski River upstream to the confluence of the Youngs and Klaskanine rivers.

GEAR A 7-inch minimum mesh size restriction during the winter season and an 8-inch maximum mesh size restriction during the spring and summer seasons.

Maximum net length of 250 fathoms and weight on leadline not to exceed two pounds in any one fathom. Red corks are required at 25-fathom intervals and red corks must be in contrast to corks used in the remainder of the net.

Use of additional weights or anchors attached directly to the leadline is allowed upstream of markers located approximately 200 yards upstream of the mouth of the Walluski River.

ALLOWABLE SALES Salmon, white sturgeon, and shad. A maximum of 3 white sturgeon may be possessed or sold by each participating vessel during each calendar week (Sunday through Saturday).
MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS Permanent transportation rules will be in effect.

Quick Reporting Rules will be in effect for Washington buyers.
WAC 220-69-240

WDFW has adopted rules that require commercial purchasers to report their landings by a specified time. Washington buyers are required to send a report of their landings to WDFW by 10AM on the day after the purchase date by either:

a) FAX: (360) 906-6776 or (360) 906-6777
b) E-mail: crfishtickets@dfw.wa.gov
c) Telephone: 1-866-791-1281

The following Columbia River seasons were set:

2007 SELECT AREA FISHERY, DEEP RIVER:
DATES:

Winter Season:(Full-fleet test fishery)
Sunday nights from February 18 through March 12 (4 nights)
Open hours are from 6 PM to 8 AM (14 hours)

Spring Season:
Monday and Thursday nights from April 19 through June 15 (17 nights).
Open hours are 7 PM to 7 AM (12 hours).

AREA: Deep River fishing area from the markers at USCG navigation marker #16 upstream to the Highway 4 Bridge.
GEAR 7-inch minimum mesh size restriction during the winter season and an 8-inch maximum mesh size restriction during the spring season.

Nets restricted to 100 fathoms in length with no weight restriction on leadline. Use of additional weights or anchors attached directly to the leadline is allowed. Nets cannot be tied off to stationary structures. Nets may not fully cross navigation channel.

ALLOWABLE SALES Salmon, white sturgeon, and shad. A maximum of 3 white sturgeon may be possessed or sold by each participating vessel during each calendar week (Sunday through Saturday).
MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS Transportation or possession of fish outside the fishing area (except to the sampling station) is unlawful until WDFW staff has biologically sampled individual catches. After sampling, fishers will be issued a transportation permit by agency staff. During the winter test season arrangements must be made with Marc Miller at 360-244-9125 for the place and time of sampling. In, the spring season a sampling station will be established upstream of the Highway 4 Bridge at the upper pen site at Kato's dock.

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