State Fish and Wildlife Department biologist Joe Hymer in Vancouver said the Columbia River spring chinook fishery is just starting to gather steam.
“There hasn’t been a lot of fishing effort yet,” he said “and it won’t really break loose until mid- to late March.”
The lower river springer fishery is scheduled to remain open until April 10, when Oregon and Washington fish managers will assess the size of the run. If things look good, Hymer said, the season could be reopened, probably in mid-May.
“One item of interest to salmon fishermen,” he said, “is that record numbers of seals and sea lions have been counted in the river near Astoria.”
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