Oregon is restricting wild Chinook salmon retention to one adult per day when fall Chinook season opens on the Snake River on Aug. 18, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced.
The change is part of the agency's adjustment to the 2026 fall Chinook salmon season regulations due to a lower-than-average forecast for wild fall Chinook returns. Anglers may retain one wild Chinook as part of the three adult daily bag limit. All other permanent regulations remain unchanged.
The regulation is intended to keep harvest within federally mandated limits to protect both Chinook and steelhead fisheries later in the season. "By tightening the retention of wild adults, we stay within ESA impact limits and help ensure we have enough allowable take to keep our popular steelhead fisheries open," said Kyle Bratcher, ODFW District Fish Biologist.
Though the fall Chinook season opens Aug. 18, catch rates are not expected to pick up until later in the fall when more fish arrive. The agency reminds anglers to review the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations and check for in-season regulation updates before fishing.