Andy Walgamott

Late May 2026 spring Chinook, steelhead, sturgeon and shad catch stats for the Lower Columbia, select Southwest Washington tributaries and the lower Willamette River.

Up until recently, nobody could really say for sure whether the gazillions of American shad running up the Columbia River were having any impact on salmon and steelhead, either directly or indirectly. That may be changing.

Documents posted to a federal rule-making website provide sharper details about proposed hunting and fishing expansions on national wildlife refuges in the Northwest.

There wasn't very much doubt that Oregon's Republican candidate for governor would come out against Initiative Petition 28, the measure that would ban fishing and hunting in the state if passed by voters, but so too has the incumbent progressive Democrat.

A federal judge in short order has denied a Quinault Indian Nation bid to expand their usual and accustomed fishing and shellfishing grounds to Willapa Bay and 60 miles up the Lower Columbia, though it could always be appealed.

In another after-hours rule change notice, Washington state salmon managers announced that the North Fork Nooksack spring Chinook fishery will be closed starting tomorrow, June 9, because "Catch survey data indicates the maximum allowable encounters of wild Chinook has been reached."

WDFW lays out 2026 salmon seasons for Marine Areas 1, 2, 3 and 4, the waters off Ilwaco, Westport, La Push and Neah Bay.

A federal judge in Seattle yesterday denied the Quinault Indian Nation's motion to reconsider their request to begin proceedings to include the Lower Columbia and Willapa Bay as part of their usual and accustomed fishing grounds.

Mid-June 2026 Chinook, steelhead, sturgeon, shad and walleye catch stats for the Lower Columbia, select Southwest Washington tributaries and the lower Willamette River.

Dungeness crabbing will open the Thursday before the Fourth of July in several Puget Sound marine areas, a few days later off Seattle and Tacoma, and in mid-July and mid-August for portions of the San Juans, according to summer seasons announced by state shellfish managers.