Snake River Zone
Description
The Snake River Zone is all the waters of the Snake River from the Oregon-Washington border upstream to the Oregon-Idaho border. The boundary between the Snake River and its tributaries is defined as a straight line across the mouths of all rivers. The Snake River Zone includes the portions of the Burnt and Powder rivers downstream of the Huntington-Richland Road near their mouths and includes the portion of Pine Creek downstream of the Oxbow Bridge.
Snake River Zone Regulations
- Where the Snake River forms the boundary between Oregon and Idaho, the following rules apply:
- License of either state is valid in the Snake River when angling from a floating device. However, when fishing tributaries, sloughs or from sloughs or from lands within either state, the angler must be licensed by the state where the waters (or land) are located.
- Anglers must follow the rules of the licensing state.
- Anglers are restricted to one daily catch limit, even if licensed by both states.
- Anglers may launch and take out their boats from either state, regardless of licensing state.
- A valid Columbia River Basin Endorsement must be in possession when fishing for salmon, steelhead, or sturgeon in the mainstem Columbia River from Buoy 10 upstream and in all the rivers and their tributaries that flow into the Columbia River.
- See Health Advisory in Advisories & Consumption Guidelines.
Snake River Zone Regulations |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Species |
Bag Limit |
Size Limit and Other Specifications |
Season |
Trout |
6 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. |
|
Open all year. |
Salmon |
See exception for Washington State Line to Hells Canyon Dam.
|
Closed in all waters unless noted by species under Exceptions. |
|
Steelhead |
3 per day. |
|
Closed in all waters unless noted by species under Exceptions. |
Bass |
Lakes/Reservoirs: 6 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit. |
|
Open all year. |
Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow Perch, Sucker, Carp, Chub, Northern Pikeminnow, Sculpin, Whitefish, Shad and other Nongame Fish |
No limit. |
None. |
|
Sturgeon |
Catch-and-release only. |
|
Exceptions to Snake River Zone Regulations
Brownlee Reservoir
- 12 inch minimum length on bass.
- An Oregon angling license is required on the Powder River Arm from the mouth up to the Huntington – Richland Rd Bridge.
- Brownlee Reservoir ends at the downstream point of Porter Island.
Hells Canyon Reservoir
- 3 hatchery trout over 20 inches may be harvested per day.
- 12 inch minimum length limit on bass.
Oxbow Reservoir
- 2 bass per day.
- No harvest of bass between 12 and 16 inches.
Snake River
Washington State Line to Hells Canyon Dam.
- Open for hatchery steelhead Jan 1 - Apr 30 and Sep 1 - Dec 31.
- Open for hatchery Chinook salmon Apr 22 - Aug 17 from Dug Bar Boat Ramp to Hells Canyon Dam. 4 hatchery Chinook per day, only 2 of which may be an adult.
- Open for Chinook salmon Aug 18 - Oct 31. 3 adult Chinook salmon per day, no limit on jacks.
- Wild trout must be released.
- Closed from Hells Canyon Dam downstream 400 ft to cable crossing.
Above Brownlee Reservoir to Idaho State Line
- 6 bass per day: no minimum length.
- Two rod validation may be used all year.
Catch-and-release
All trout, salmon and steelhead that are released must be unharmed and should not be removed from the water.