Sturgeon fishing seasons open Jan. 1 in sections of the Columbia River
The Bonneville, Dalles, and John Day pools will open New Years Day.
Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington finalized the 2025 white sturgeon fishing seasons for sections of the Columbia River upstream of Bonneville Dam during a joint state hearing Friday, Nov. 8.
Sturgeon retention in the Bonneville Pool (between Bonneville Dam and The Dalles Dam) and The Dalles Pool (between The Dalles Dam and John Day Dam) will be allowed on Wednesdays and Saturdays only, Jan. 1–29, 2025, or until pool-specific quotas are met. The John Day Pool will be open for sturgeon retention daily starting Jan. 1, 2025, until its pool-specific quota is reached.
The days-per-week structure, adopted in 2022, helps fishery managers monitor catch rates and manage fishing effort in these popular sturgeon fisheries, giving them the flexibility to adapt as needed throughout the season.
When retention is permitted, anglers can keep one sturgeon per day, with a limit of two sturgeon annually across all retention fisheries. In the Bonneville Pool, kept sturgeon must have a fork length between 38 and 54 inches, while in The Dalles and John Day pools, the allowable fork length is 43 to 54 inches. On days when retention is not permitted, the Bonneville and The Dalles pools will remain open for catch-and-release sturgeon fishing.
The current recreational harvest guidelines are set at 675 white sturgeon for the Bonneville Pool, 275 for The Dalles Pool, and 105 for the John Day Pool. Fishery managers will reassess the Bonneville Pool’s harvest guideline in late January 2025.
For more information about white sturgeon in the Columbia River, Puget Sound, and coastal areas, including current harvest totals, visit the white sturgeon webpage.
Rules and regulations are subject to change. Anglers should review the emergency fishing rules or Fish Washington® mobile app for the area they plan to fish before heading out. Anglers can be notified of any in-season rule changes as they are announced by signing up for WDFW regulation updates.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish, wildlife, and recreational and commercial opportunities.
