never thought I would see it, Sturgeon is open upper columbia!

[KFhunter]

https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=1975

May 22, 2017



Lake Roosevelt white sturgeon fishery

Action: Open a harvest fishery for white sturgeon in Lake Roosevelt.

Species affected: White sturgeon

Location: Lake Roosevelt

Section A: From Grand Coulee Dam to China Bend Boat Ramp (including the Spokane River from Highway 25 Bridge upstream to 400? below Little Falls Dam, Colville River upstream to Meyers Falls and the Kettle River upstream to Barstow Bridge)

Section B (white sturgeon spawning sanctuary): From China Bend Boat Ramp upstream to the Canadian Border Effective Dates:

Section A: Open 7 days per week beginning May 27 through Sept. 17, 2017.

Section B (white sturgeon Spawning sanctuary): Open seven days per week beginning Aug.1 through Sept. 17, 2017.

Fishery Rules: Daily Limit 1 sturgeon. Annual Limit 2 sturgeon. It is legal to retain sturgeon between 38 inches and 63 inches fork length. Fork length is measured from the tip of the snout to middle of the fork in the caudal fin (tail). All harvested sturgeon must be recorded on a Catch Record Card (Catch Code 549). Two pole fishing is allowed. Closed to night fishing. All other statewide rules for white sturgeon must be observed.

WDFW requests that anglers use heavy gear, 50lb test mainline and leader at a minimum, and use14/0 hooks or smaller to avoid catching and/or injuring large wild adult sturgeon. The request to use heavier gear will ensure anglers hook and land sturgeon effectively, but also is protective of large wild adult brood sturgeon that, if hooked, should be played to hand quickly and released without being removed from the water. WDFW recommends that any fish that will not be legally retained should not be removed from the water prior to release.

Reason for action: The white sturgeon population in the Upper Columbia Transboundary Reach (Grand Coulee Dam, Washington to Hugh Keenleyside Dam, British Columbia) has experienced consistent juvenile year-class production failure for more than 30 years. In response to production failure, the Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative (UCWSRI) was formed in 2000. The UCWSRI produced a Recovery Plan (finalized in 2002) with the goal, ?To ensure the persistence and viability of naturally-reproducing populations of white sturgeon in the Upper Columbia River and restore opportunities for beneficial use, if feasible?. A White Sturgeon hatchery program began in 2001 (2002 releases) in British Columbia (BC) and 2004 (with brood year 2003 fish from BC) in Washington using conventional brood stock and hatchery rearing methods. Stocking ranged from 2,000-12,000 juvenile sturgeon per year from 2001 to 2010 (including both Washington and BC releases). Survival of hatchery-produced juvenile sturgeon was much higher than anticipated. As a result, there is a surplus of approximately 20,500 sturgeon that are available for harvest from Lake Roosevelt over the next decade.

Other information: The Lake Roosevelt co-managers (WDFW, Spokane Tribe and the Colville Confederated Tribes) will all be conducting sturgeon fisheries. The co-managers have negotiated a catch share agreement which allows each entity a guaranteed portion of the sturgeon harvest. Non-tribal licensed anglers will have the opportunity to harvest up to 10,250 sturgeon over the next 10 years.

Non-tribal anglers are asked to be respectful of tribal angling and both tribal and non-tribal sturgeon research that is occurring on the reservoir. Anglers are reminded that fishery dates, times, slot limits, daily limits and annual limits may be adjusted over the next decade to ensure a sustainable population of sturgeon is maintained in Lake Roosevelt and that equitable access to the negotiated catch share amongst the three co-managers is achieved.

Information Contact: For more information, contact Chris Donley, WDFW Region 1 Fish Program Manager (509) 892 1001 ext. 307 or Bill Baker, WDFW District 1 Fisheries Biologist (509) 684-2362 ext. 23.

[huntnphool]

 Very cool, may have to give this try.

[TommyH]

   A species I've never caught, yet. What works well for them? I'll be giving it a go soon. Any tips?

[plugger]

I see them rolling up at kettle all the time when i'm up there fishing walleye. Had one almost hit the boat once. We made eye contact LOL.

[Ridgeratt]

I heard about this happening last year.   

Bring on some more water to get the launches open.

Just watch out for floating surprises.

Temporary Collection Boom Installed at River Mile 702
Alert 1 , Severity ,danger ,,Temporary Collection Boom Installed at River Mile 702
The higher than normal run off in the Kettle River has caused the debris boom at the mouth of the river to breach. A temporary collection boom will be installed at river mile 702. Mile 702 is approximately 1 mile south of the Highway 395 bridge.

[Miles]

The wife and I used to hook into them all the time while fishing at the upper Columbia rv park.  Never did get one of the big 5+ footers in though. 

[HntnFsh]

Sounds like Lower Columbia is going to open soon. Will be announced today Im pretty sure

[Miles]

  A species I've never caught, yet. What works well for them? I'll be giving it a go soon. Any tips?

I used to toss out a gob of crawlers with about a 3' leader and slip sinker set up.  Of course I was fishing for anything that would bite (walleye/rainbow).  We hooked them frequently from the sand bank behind upper Columbia rv park. 

[TommyH]

 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Should be a fun fishery!

[Gobble Doc]

Isn't the reason that they opened sturgeon down by wanapum in part because they wanted to remove the hatchery fish and try to leave the larger wild fish? Is this new opening the same idea?

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[Mr Mykiss]

I believe its been open for 3 years now...must not be many people fishin it.

[KFhunter]

Not the upper Columbia, Lake Roosevelt it's been closed for decades.  I'm excited about this, fond memories of rowing out and dropping a line.  I do wish night fishing was open but I'll take what I can get at this point. 


I like to use panty hose filled with chicken gizzards and a weight release set up.  I used to use 10lb line break away but I've since got some cool weight releases.

[Gobble Doc]

I agree KF, it sounds like a great time. I hope I get the chance. I'm just trying to figure out the logic of taking a depressed fishery (wild sturgeon) then building hatcheries in order to "restore opportunities for beneficial use" and then decide that they need to be removed in order to not compete with wild fish, see below. I understand that this month's press release below was for the wanapum region but it sounds like the same logic as now for the upper Columbia. Can someone explain?

May 4, 2017 

 Sturgeon fishery opens June 3 in Priest Rapids, Wanapum reservoirs 

Action: Allow harvest of sturgeon

Effective Dates: One hour before official sunrise on June 3 through one hour after official sunset on Sept. 30, 2017.

Species affected: White sturgeon between 38 and 72 inches fork length

Location: Priest Rapids Reservoir (from Priest Rapids Dam to Wanapum Dam) and Wanapum Reservoir (from Wanapum Dam to Rock Island Dam)

Reason for action: Hatchery-origin white sturgeon residing in Priest Rapids and Wanapum reservoirs since the early 2000s are abundant and have grown to a harvestable size. Removal of these hatchery-origin fish is consistent with ongoing actions to rebuild depressed populations of wild-origin white sturgeon in Priest Rapids and Wanapum reservoirs.

Other information:

 Daily limit of one (1) sturgeon between 38 and 72 inches fork length may be harvested from Priest Rapids and Wanapum reservoirs only.

 Annual limit of two (2) sturgeon between 38 and 72 inches fork length may be harvested from Priest Rapids and Wanapum reservoirs only. Anglers are required to record sturgeon harvested from Priest Rapids (537) and Wanapum (539) reservoirs on a Catch Record Card.

 Catch-and-release fishing is allowed in Priest Rapids and Wanapum reservoirs after the daily limit is harvested.

 Any sturgeon not to be harvested must be released immediately. Oversized sturgeon cannot be removed totally or in part from the water.

Night closure in effect for sturgeon. Official sunrise and sunset times can be found at: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php

 Only one single-point barbless hook and bait is allowed while fishing for sturgeon.

 Anglers may fish for sturgeon with two poles with the purchase of a Two-Pole Endorsement license.

 In the field, eggs must be retained with intact carcass of fish from which they came.

All closed water areas in and around Priest Rapids, Wanapum, and Rock Island dams are still in effect. Check the current sport fishing rules pamphlet for complete details (http: //wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/).

 Daily and annual limits, harvestable slot length limits, Catch Record Card recording requirements, and all other sport fishing rules governing sturgeon harvest in all other legally open fisheries still apply.

Information Contact: Chad Jackson, District Fish Biologist, (509) 754-4624, x250 


Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. Check the WDFW "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for details on fishing seasons and regulations. Fishing rules are subject to change. Check the WDFW Fishing hotline for the latest rule information at (360) 902-2500, press 2 for recreational rules. For the Shellfish Rule Change hotline call (360)796-3215 or toll free 1-866-880-5431.

[Huntin Hounds]

I am pretty excited about this. Can't wait to get out there and try and find some of these fish. What kind of areas do you guys think will be productive for fishing? I can't see fishing for them in the main channel that is 200'+ deep. Would you look for the sandy flats or maybe the mouths of bays? It's something else to try for at the very least.