11-12-24 REELLIFE digital - Flipbook - Page 16
Fishing from a floating
device is prohibited from
the second powerline
crossing, one mile
upstream from the first
Highway 153 bridge.
Wild steelhead were
listed endangered in 1997
under the Endangered
Species Act and have been
considered threatened
since 2009, meaning that
traditional recreational
fishing is only allowed
when there is an excess
of returning hatchery
Steelhead. Approximately
7,601 adults were counted
over Priest Rapids Dam in
2023, and thus far in 2024,
an estimated 9,336 adult
fish have been counted.
WDFW will continue to
monitor the steelhead
returns to determine if
additional regions can be
opened.
Steelhead populations in
the Columbia River system
have faced numerous
challenges including
habitat loss, dams, and
changing ocean conditions.
In response, local state
and federal agencies,
along with indigenous
tribes and conservation
groups have worked
tirelessly to implement
recovery plans. These
efforts include habitat
restoration, fish passage
improvements at dams,
and reducing bycatch
in other fisheries. This
historic decision to reopen
Steelhead fishing was
made in consultation with
NOAA fisheries to ensure
wild steelhead populations
remain protected while
allowing recreational
fishing for hatchery
steelhead. For anglers, this
is a moment to celebrate
and continue advocating
for the protection of this
remarkable species.
