Photo courtesy of Great NW Rivers Guide Service
OLYMPIA – Anglers have three opportunities in March to meet with state fishery managers to talk about salmon fisheries in the mid- and upper Columbia River and lower Snake River before this year’s seasons are set.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has scheduled three public meetings to discuss pre-season salmon forecasts and upcoming spring, summer and fall fishing seasons – particularly those proposed for salmon upstream from McNary Dam.
Those meetings are as scheduled:
- Wenatchee: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., March 28, Chelan PUD, 327 N Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee.
- Clarkston: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., March 29, Walla Walla Community College, Clarkston Campus Auditorium, 1470 Bridge St., Clarkston.
- Kennewick: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., March 30, Kennewick Irrigation District, 2015 S. Ely St., Kennewick.
The Kennewick meeting is being held at a new location – the Kennewick Irrigation District – this year compared to the past few years.
These meetings are part of the salmon season-setting process known as North of Falcon, which involves representatives from federal, state and tribal governments and recreational and commercial fishing industries. Additional public meetings have been scheduled through early April to discuss regional fisheries.
Final salmon fishing seasons are scheduled to be adopted at the Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting April 7-11 in Sacramento, Calif.
A meeting schedule, salmon forecasts and information about the salmon season-setting process for Puget Sound, the Columbia River and the Washington coast are available on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/