Action: Opens two days of white sturgeon retention (Feb. 22 and Feb. 27 only).
Species affected: White sturgeon.
Location: Columbia River from The Dalles Dam to John Day Dam and all adjacent Washington tributaries.
Effective dates: Immediately through April 30, 2025.
Sturgeon rules: Open for sturgeon retention on Feb. 22 and Feb. 27 only. Daily limit is one white sturgeon. Annual limit is two. Minimum fork length is 43 inches. Maximum fork length is 54 inches. All other days, through April 30 open for catch-and-release fishing only. Closed to retention.
Reason for action: Enough fish remain on the harvest guideline of 275 sturgeon to open two additional days of retention fishing.
Additional information: The Dalles Pool remains open for catch-and-release fishing for sturgeon on days not open to retention, as do many other stretches of the Columbia River. In addition, at the time of this release, the John Day Pool between John Day Dam and McNary Dam remains open to white sturgeon retention seven-days-per-week. Fishery managers encourage anglers to sign up for Fishing Rule Change email notifications and to check for emergency rules on the WDFW website prior to fishing. Refer to the 2024-2025 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet for fishing rules.