Upper Columbia coho retention opens from Priest Rapids to Rock Island through Oct. 15

Coho retention is open from Priest Rapids Dam to Rock Island Dam from Sept. 30 through Oct. 15, 2026. FishingWA carried the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife action on Sept. 29.

The minimum size is 12 inches. The daily limit is six salmon, including no more than two adult Chinook and no more than four coho. Sockeye must be released.

WDFW said upper Columbia–bound coho returns are sufficient for conservation and for sport harvest. The department may close the fishery early if catch-and-release impacts on ESA-listed summer steelhead run too high. The North Central Region contact is TeamEphrata@dfw.wa.gov or 509-754-4624.

This is the mid-Columbia coho opener, not the Puget Sound crabbing note already on the desk.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: FishingWA — Upper Columbia River salmon fishery update (Sept. 29, 2026).