How WDFW uses data to manage commercial fishing on the Lower Columbia River
Data collection is essential to maintaining sustainable fisheries in such a complex and dynamic environment.
Commercial fishing on the Lower Columbia River (LCR) is a vital part of southwest Washington’s history, culture, and economy. Managing these fisheries involves a careful approach that supports local communities while sustaining fish populations. At the heart of this management is data — a powerful tool that guides decisions to balance fishing opportunities with conservation efforts.
Data collection and fishery management
Each fish harvested represents the culmination of a carefully regulated process. From the timing of fishing seasons to the types of gear used, every aspect of the commercial fishery management process is guided by data.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) work closely with commercial fishers to collect and analyze data that shapes fishery regulations in the LCR management area. This area extends from the Columbia River mouth at Buoy 10 upstream to Beacon Rock, below Bonneville Dam. The primary commercial fisheries in the LCR target Chinook and coho salmon using gillnets and tangle nets. Smaller-scale commercial fisheries targeting shad and smelt (eulachon) can also occur.
The key to managing commercial fishing lies in the details. Each season, WDFW collects critical data from a sample of harvested fish, supplemented by onboard monitoring and commercial fishing guide logbook information when available. The data collected includes species, size, and the presence or absence of coded wire tags, along with biological samples such as scales and tissue. These samples provide insights into the age, genetic makeup, and migration patterns of fish populations, particularly for key species like Chinook. This data informs WDFW’s decisions about when and where fisheries can operate.
How data shapes fishery management
But it’s more than just numbers. Data collection allows WDFW to track up-to-date estimates of commercial fishery impacts on sensitive salmon and steelhead stocks protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which have strict harvest limits.
By closely monitoring commercial fishing activity, WDFW can carefully manage these impacts. If harvest limits are nearing, fisheries can be adjusted or closed to protect vulnerable populations and ensure compliance with commercial allocations. This immediate feedback loop is crucial to ensuring that fishing practices or other management actions do not jeopardize the recovery and sustainability of these fish.
Additionally, WDFW staff — including biologists, managers, and a natural resources economist — monitor commercial fishery landings and other economic data. This work provides valuable insights into fishery performance and economic contributions, while also guiding future management decisions and informing state policy.
Balancing commercial and recreational fisheries
Each year, WDFW works to balance fishing opportunities between commercial and recreational fishers. Commercial fishers are allocated a percentage of the state share of the total allowable salmon harvest — typically around 20–30% of the combined Oregon-Washington share — which may be based on the total allowable harvest or tied to ESA limits. The remaining portion is allocated to recreational anglers. This approach provides harvest opportunities for commercial operations while ensuring recreational anglers can enjoy plentiful fishing seasons.
However, both commercial and recreational fisheries operate under the same initial constraint: conservation. Data collected through WDFW’s monitoring efforts helps ensure fisheries remain within their season quotas, set by state and tribal co-managers, and within impact limits established by federal fisheries managers under the ESA.
Commercial fishers are required to follow strict gear and fishery regulations to reduce incidental mortality of non-target fish. For example, tangle nets, which have lower mortality rates for released fish compared to traditional large-mesh drift gillnets, are used for spring Chinook and coho to reduce impacts on sensitive stocks. In some cases, tools such as recovery boxes are used to help fish recover before release, further reducing stress-related mortality.
These conservation measures are complemented by careful planning of when and where fishing occurs, informed by input from WDFW’s Columbia River Commercial Fishery Advisory Group. Together, these strategies help minimize impacts on wild fish populations while supporting sustainable fishing opportunities for all.
Using data to guide the future
Data collected from commercial fisheries plays a crucial role in shaping long-term management strategies. WDFW’s approach goes beyond real-time management, focusing on building a sustainable future. By analyzing trends over time, the agency can adjust seasons, catch limits, and gear requirements to ensure Washington’s fisheries remain healthy and productive for years to come.
A key area of innovation is the development of alternative fishing gear. In recent years, WDFW has partnered with commercial fishers to test gear designed to harvest hatchery fish while releasing wild fish. In addition to tangle nets, which have been in use for several years, alternative gear such as beach seines, purse seines, and pound nets are being evaluated and implemented. These advancements help the commercial fishing industry meet conservation requirements while maintaining economic opportunities for fishers.
Overall impact of data collection
Decisions about how, when, and where commercial fishing takes place in the LCR are grounded in data. The information WDFW collects guides fisheries management to balance the economic needs of commercial operations with the sustainability of fish populations. This approach benefits everyone — commercial fishers, recreational anglers, and all who are dedicated to conserving and sustaining our shared resources.
Data collection is essential to maintaining sustainable fisheries in such a complex and dynamic environment. These efforts ensure that Washington’s fisheries remain productive, supporting both fish populations and the communities that rely on them for generations to come.
Working with state, federal, and tribal co-managers
Managing responsible and sustainable commercial fisheries is central to WDFW’s mission and mandate from the state Legislature. With a legacy of commercial fishing that spans generations, the Columbia River continues to provide fresh, locally caught seafood to thousands of Washingtonians while bolstering the economies of communities along its banks.
Like recreational fishing, commercial fishing is managed in cooperation with other state, federal, and tribal co-managers through the US v. Oregon Management Agreement and the Columbia River Compact process. Management decisions are also guided by statewide salmon season-setting conducted as part of the North of Falcon process and the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Columbia River Salmon Fishery Management Policy.
WDFW and ODFW manage fisheries for state-licensed commercial fishers and buyers, working closely with the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) and treaty tribes, who oversee their own fisheries. Where federally protected stocks are involved, such as Chinook salmon, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides additional input and oversight.
Commercial fishing occurs at designated times and locations, with catch limits determined by run sizes and the allowable impacts on species listed under the ESA. Through oversight, catch sampling, and data collection, WDFW helps protect fish populations while ensuring both commercial and recreational anglers continue to benefit from healthy fisheries.
For more information, visit the Columbia River commercial fisheries webpage.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.
