Action: Opens two days of white sturgeon retention (Feb. 22 and Feb. 26).
Species affected: White sturgeon.
Location: Columbia River from The Dalles Dam to John Day Dam and all adjacent Washington tributaries.
Effective dates and sturgeon rules:
- Immediately–Feb. 21: Catch-and-release fishing only.
- Feb. 22: Daily limit is one. Minimum fork length is 43 inches. Maximum fork length is 54 inches.
- Feb. 23–25: Catch-and-release fishing only.
- Feb. 26: Daily limit is one. Minimum fork length is 43 inches. Maximum fork length is 54 inches.
- Feb. 27–April 30: Catch-and-release fishing only.
Reason for action: Enough fish remain within the harvest guideline of 275 sturgeon to open two additional days of retention fishing.
Additional information: The Bonneville Pool remains open for catch-and-release sturgeon fishing on days not open to retention, as do many other stretches of the Columbia River. For more information about white sturgeon fishing, refer to WDFW’s white sturgeon webpage.
Fishery managers encourage anglers to sign up for Fishing Rule Change email notifications and to check for emergency rules on the WDFW website before fishing. Refer to the 2025–26 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet for current regulations. Download the Fish Washington® mobile app to stay up to date on the go.