NOTE: Last January, the sturgeon retention season closed within days as anglers quickly caught the quota in this increasingly crowded fishery. So keep an eye out for last-minute changes before fishing.
Oregon and Washington Fish and Wildlife departments recently set the Columbia River sturgeon harvest season for early 2025.
Bonneville Pool Sturgeon Season
First of all, let’s start with the Bonneville Pool, where the sturgeon season is set to open on Wednesday, January 1, and run through January 29, 2025, or until the quota is met. During that period, you may only harvest a sturgeon on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The slot limit to harvest the sturgeon in the Bonneville Pool is 38 inches to 54 inches. The daily limit is one keeper-sized sturgeon. The season limit is two.
Sturgeon Season in The Dalles Pool
Sturgeon season The Dalles Pool will open on the Columbia River on January 1 and go through January 29, 2025, or until the quota is met. The slot limit in the Dalles pool is 43-inch minimum and 54-inch maximum.
This fishery also will be available Wednesdays and Saturdays this year, with the same daily and season limits as in the Bonneville Pool.
Additional Sturgeon Regulations
Before fishing any of these pools, make sure to check the current regulations, as in-season changes may happen at any time and once the quota is met, the sturgeon season will be shut down immediately.
I will be offering guided sturgeon fishing trips in all three of these pools starting in January. Like always, you will be in the comfort of a covered and heated boat, which is especially important during winters in the Columbia River Gorge and Eastern Oregon.
How to measure a sturgeon?
When you are measuring a sturgeon, you must measure from the tip of the nose to the fork in the tail to get an accurate measurement and to stay legal to harvest. You’ll often hear this called the “fork length.” It is easiest to lay the sturgeon on its side when measuring.
Boat Ramps
Here are a few boat ramps I use during the sturgeon season. Early ramps we’ll likely meet at will be Cascade Locks, Hood River Marina, and The Dalles Marina. When fishing upriver, we’ll meet at either the marina in Rufus or the one at the mouth of the John Day River.
Marvin’s Guide Service will continue to offer catch-and-release sturgeon fishing trips year-round.
Limits of sturgeon caught on the Columbia River in the Bonneville Pool fishing with Marvin’s Guide Service.
Last Updated on by Marv
