05_2025_REELLIFE_digital - Flipbook - Page 23
Lothrop, Columbia River
fisheries manager with the
Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife (WDFW),
which he referred to as step
one.
Next, fishery managers
calculate the allowable
catch. Lastly, fishery
managers apply the
commission guidance
of proportion of the
Endangered Species Act
splits by sector and area.In
2025, recreational anglers
are projected to harvest
approximately 5,200 adult
spring Chinook below
Bonneville Dam in the
Columbia mainstem, and
550 spring Chinook from
Bonneville Dam upstream
to the Washington/Oregon
border. “Fortunately, we
were able to provide
additional quality April
days of opportunity
downstream of Bonneville
Dam this year, given there
was a substantial balance
remaining,” Lothrop said.
“Upstream of Bonneville
Dam, increasing catch
rates in recent years
have led to early closures,
resulting in fewer open
fishing days before this
year’s in-season run
size update. However,
if the run size update is
large enough or if there’s
remaining catch allocation,
additional fishing time is
likely. ”Fishery managers
will monitor the fisheries,
dam counts, and hatchery
returns as the season
progresses and adjust
as necessary. The U.S. v.
Oregon Technical Advisory
Committee typically
provides a run size update
in mid-May. Based on the
2025 preseason forecasts,
anglers can expect to
find a decent number
of spring Chinook in the
Cowlitz, Kalama, and Lewis
rivers. Tributary fisheries
are managed based on
hatchery spring Chinook
surplus. Places like the
Cowlitz experienced
closures a few years ago,
but with a forecast of 13,310
(4,580 and 8,822), a closure
isn’t necessary in 2025. The
Cowlitz spring
Chinook forecast to the
tributary mouth is greater
than the recent fiveyear and 10-year average
return of 5,300 and 9,800,
respectively. In the Kalama
River, the spring Chinook
forecast to the tributary
mouth is 2,900 (1,840 was
forecast with an actual
return of 2,310 in 2024). The
Kalama spring Chinook
forecast to the tributary
mouth is similar to the
recent five-year and 10-year
average return of 2,200 and
2,500, respectively.
In the Lewis River, the
spring Chinook forecast
is 3,060 (3,270 and 2,553).
The Lewis spring Chinook
forecast to the tributary
mouth is similar to the
recent five-year average
return of 3,700 and greater
