Oregon reduced fishing bag limits on the Snake River beginning Sept. 23 to protect declining salmon and steelhead populations, the Department of Fish and Wildlife announced.
For Chinook salmon, anglers may keep three adult hatchery fish through Oct. 31, with no limit on juvenile jacks. Wild Chinook retention is prohibited for the remainder of the season, down from one fish allowed when the season opened Aug. 18.
Hatchery steelhead bag limits drop to two fish from Sept. 23 through Dec. 31, reduced from three under permanent regulations. The reduction follows record-low steelhead returns at Bonneville Dam.
"These rule changes reflect strong coordination with our Idaho partners," said Kyle Bratcher, district fish biologist for the agency. "Managing shared fisheries requires shared responsibility, and these steps give both states the flexibility we need to protect wild Chinook and maintain stable steelhead seasons for anglers."
Steelhead fishing remains closed in other Columbia River tributaries, including Oregon's Deschutes and John Day rivers. The Snake River steelhead population is expected to meet minimum thresholds allowing some retention, though the reduced limits serve broodstock collection and conservation goals for Idaho populations.
Restricting wild Chinook retention preserves catch allowances needed under the Endangered Species Act to keep steelhead seasons open. "Even when anglers aren't targeting Chinook directly, incidental encounters happen, and safeguarding those wild fish is essential to sustaining steelhead access for the rest of the season," Bratcher said.